Different ways of fitting in
by CallMeBunny
Summary: Evan just wants friends, and doesn't want to be the freak. It's that simple for her, or maybe it isn't. This will be a slow building story, probably. We'll find out after I finish writing the whole thing. The rating will change maybe, just cause I'll do as I please. The beginning chapters are crazy slow, but it picks up and gets better, at least I think so. Check it if you like.
1. Chapter 1

My name is Evangeline Ann Kelpie and I'm adopted. I've always known, and I'm pretty happy about it. That might sound weird, but it really isn't if you were me. One of the people who's raised me isn't too fond of me. I can't be sure why, but I've heard Mrs. Kelpie talk about my hair and eye's once. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm not the only child in the house anymore. They adopted Ollie when I was 7, I think they adopted me when I was 3 or 4 maybe. Anyway, we got Ollie when he was 3 years old and he was the cutest thing in the world. The Kelpie's liked him a lot better than me, but I don't mind too much because at least he'll get attention and be taken care of. I'm home schooled and they put Ollie in public school, I think it has something to do with my hair and eyes again.

We don't have too many mirrors in the house, but I think I had light brown hair and now it's blonde. I don't think it's very odd. A girl down the street told me hers had done the opposite, but I don't talk to her much anymore. I do chores and clean up after Ollie, and it's incredibly boring being in the house all the time, but I've gotten use to it. I don't talk a lot with the Kelpie's, I don't even talk with Ollie very often. But when no ones home I listen to the radio and sing or dance. The Kelpie's have a lot of privacy since they live on the outside of town and the closest neighbor lives at the end of the block so no one hears the music.

I really like to read, but I'm not allowed to go out to the library, so I read what Mr. Kelpie brings home from work. He works at the library and Mrs. Kelpie is a dentist. Mr. Kelpie likes me a little more than his wife does. She doesn't like to look at me, but Mr. Kelpie talks to me and makes sure I have things that I need and sometimes he asks me if I fancy reading anything new from the library.

I think if I talked to him more we'd get along well, but Mrs. Kelpie looks at me like I'm killing kittens when ever she see's me talking to her husband. When I turned eight, Mr. Kelpie told me to call him Steve. So now I call him Steve and I think it's very nice of him. On my ninth birthday he sneaked me some new books he bought from the book store. One was a Greek mythology book and another was a poetry book. And they were mine, I'd never owned any books before, but Mrs. Kelpie found out and she didn't like it much. She was yelling at me and asking where I'd gotten them, and I wasn't going to send her to Steve. So I sat there looking at the wall and I think she lost her temper because she slapped me across the face. I tried not to cry, but that wasn't working so instead I just looked at her. She got even more angry, and stomped off to find Steve. They started yelling and I went down to find out if I got Steve in trouble. When I got into the living room I saw Mrs. Kelpie slap Steve across the face.

And I yelled for the first time.

 **Steve**

I have no clue why Beth hates Evan so much, but she does. We were just arguing about the books I had gotten the girl for her birthday when Beth slapped me, like that was a good idea, and Evan came down the stairs and saw it. What I saw was a red hand print on the little girls face, and I was ready to burn Beth alive. What right did she have to hit that child. But before I could even think to say something I heard a very angry little voice yelling from the stairs.

"What do you think you're doing!"

Beth and I turned to the little girl with shock. She doesn't talk, and when she does she almost whispers. But that shock was replaced with an even bigger surprise as we looked at her. Her normally long, straight almost pale blonde hair was dark orange with red streaks and it was curly. And her dark blue eyes were dark brown.

The next thing I know Beth's on the ground, fainted I presumed, and I was still staring. I should have known better to think this just stopped. I had a creeping suspicion that her eye's had been changing colors recently, and when I gave her the books I bought her, I thought I saw them turn light blue then back to their normal dark blue color. This happened a few times when we first got her, that's when Beth started shunning her. She wouldn't even let me near the child unless it was to feed or clean her.

Evan started calming down and I watched as her hair straightened and faded back to a pale blonde. Now she was just standing there staring at my fainted wife.

"I think we should talk," I told Evan as I gently took her hand and led her back to her room. We sat down on her bed and I started to talk.

 **Evangeline**

We were sitting on my bed and I was a little confused. Mrs. Kelpie just fainted and Steve wanted to talk about something I thought it might be serious, so I waited for him to talk.

"I'm guessing you don't know about the fact that you can change your hair and eye color then?" he asked me. I just stared at him, and if I'm being honest here then I did feel my hair shift around on my head before.

He continued, "Well it does, and we found out when we got you. We actually adopted you from an orphanage when we were traveling around Europe. I had to convince Beth, she didn't really want children at the time but you were so tiny and I thought we just had to take you. So we did, and the first night we had you I gave you a toy dinosaur and you were so excited. And your eyes turned bright yellow; we barely noticed and brushed it off. But that night I was rocking you to sleep and your hair turned blue. Beth saw and freaked you know. She was never very fond of you after that."

The whole time he talked, I tried to think, which meant not getting too excited because WOW I can change my hair color! How. Cool. But I didn't want to get all riled up because Steve seemed sad. I think, he thinks it's his fault.

"Anyway, I thought I should tell you. There is somethings you should know," Steve told me, getting my attention.

"You should really learn to control your hair and eye... thing.. because if people saw you do it, I don't think they'd take to it so kindly. And I know what your last name is; the one you came with," he said, holding his breath.

I thought this was silly, because my last name is his last name. But then I realized he must be talking about my parents last name. The ones who made me. What's the word.. biological I think. Well now I was just curious. I don't know anything about my parents. Were they nice? Why didn't they keep me? Are they even alive? I had to stop and breath, then I looked up at Steve expectantly.

Steve started talking slowly, like he had to hold the words back from falling out of his mouth, "The woman that worked at the orphanage and took care of you told me that your father dropped you off there. Your father said that your name was Evangeline Ann Prince. And that your mother named you, and they couldn't take care of you because of certain reasons. The woman also told me you looked a bit like your mother." I sat quietly and listened; it felt like eternity. But now I knew somethings about my parents.

"Wow..." I said quietly. I looked outside, and it was raining; I loved the rain.

Steve told me he had to go get something and would be right back. When he came back he handed me a small hand mirror, and told me to practice when no one is watching. And that's what I did, I practiced everyday. It wasn't so hard really, what was hard was not doing it when I was emotional. That took some serious practice, and I found the only way to have my eyes and hair stay normal when I was especially happy, or angry, or what ever, was to just not be emotional, and stay calm. And by the time of my 10th birthday I had it down perfectly.

Besides perfecting my usage of the odd changing of my hair and eyes, I found I could change my height and facial features as well as my skin color and how old I looked. Which was all very weird and I hadn't practiced it much due to the fact those things didn't change when I got emotional.

So after the year of learning, and after my 10th birthday, the oddest thing happens; I got two letters in the mail. They both had the same funny wax seal with an H on it. Steve told me he had to sneak them from the pile at the door so Beth wouldn't see and take them, she had just left for work and couldn't take the time to go through it.

We sat in my room and opened the first letter which told me I was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It included a list of school books and items I would need for school. I showed it to Steve who, at first, thought it was a joke; I didn't get the same feeling. I went to open the next letter which was from the headmaster of Hogwarts, we knew cause it said so in the first letter of course, and he wrote saying he had sent me my letter a year early. As all other little witches and wizards attended Hogwarts when they turned 11 years of age. But I was a special case and he would be coming by to visit and chat that very day.

I handed it to Steve to read and I stared, mouth open, at the wall. Does that mean I'm a witch? Steve just finished the letter and he looked a little confused and like he didn't really believe it. We turned to each other, ready to make our arguments, when we heard the door bell.


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't know what to make of it; the door bell just rang. But it couldn't be, could it? Before Steve could say or do anything I was off the bed and flying down the stairs, past an empty kitchen, and to the front door that I swung open. I found a strange old man standing there. He had what I assumed to be robes on, and long white hair with a long white beard to match. He was wearing glasses and his eye twinkled mischievously, like he was still young but he somehow knew what was gonna happen next.

I started spewing questions, "Are you a wizard? Are you Dumbledore? Does that mean you can do magic? What's Hogwarts? Did you send me those letters? Why am I special?" I fired off question after question, completely forgetting that he didn't have a chance to answer them. I realized I was also doing two things at the time. Firstly, I was yelling; secondly, my hair was changing. I took out my hand mirror from my back pocket quickly and found my hair to be a lot like a rainbow with random curls and waves. I instantly changed it back to its normal looking self and stared in wide eyed horror at the man before me who saw what I just did.

But he didn't look surprised at all; he looked anything but upset really. He chuckled lightly before saying, "Ms. Prince, it is quite alright. And as for your questions. Yes, yes, yes, its a school, yes, and you are a metamorphagus. But I can answer all the same questions, and more, if you would like." I was very happy to find that he had actual answers to my questions. Steve came up behind me at that very moment looking confusedly at the man standing in our door way. I explained quickly who he was and said we should invite him in. Steve nodded absentmindedly and led everyone to the living room.

"So you're like a professor then," I asked him timidly, trying to remember to hold back my emotions. He looked a little curious at the room, but answered my question none the less, "Yes Ms. Prince, I am a professor and headmaster at Hogwarts."

I couldn't believe it. Hogwarts was real? But seriously, who named that poor school Hogwarts? It doesn't sound very appealing at all.

We were now sitting in our living room, Professor Dumbledore was on one couch that faced another, where Steve sat. I chose to sit on the floor in front of a coffee table, between the two couches, and the two men. Steve decided to come back from where ever he was in lala land, and started the conversation, "So how exactly did Evan get accepted to a school that we never applied her to," he said trying to sound confident and not confused. Dumbledore explained easily, "The school keeps an eye out for any children that show magical abilities, and when they do we invite them to attend Hogwarts when they turn 11."

Steve looked a bit like he was still trying to understand the 'magical' part so I continued the questions, "But I'm only 10, why did I get my letter?"

"You see, Ms. Prince we've taken a special interest in you, and think it would be best you joined the magical world a little earlier. I would have come sooner, but some of the other people who helped make this decision thought it would be unfair to other students, so we decided on accepting you to school just a year early. Only if you would like, of course."

I wanted to scream, I was so excited, but I needed to stay calm so my hair would stay normal. So I kept asking questions, " Umm, so why am I special? And you keep calling me Ms. Prince...You can call me Evangeline or Evan, and how do you know about my last name?"

Steve seemed to snap out of it a little to say, "Yeah, only Beth, me, and the matron at the orphanage know her last name." Dumbledore chuckled a bit and carried on with his continually growing explanation, "The Prince family was once very prestigious, but has all but died out, so we tracked you down, I never knew your mother, but I met her once. It's a very long story, one for another time and by another, I would think. And you are what the wizarding world would call a metamorphagus. A very rare kind of person who can change their appearance. But I suppose you know about that part though, miss Evangeline."

I felt so sad now, "Oh, so not everyone with magic can change what they look like, like I can then?" Professor Dumbledore shook his head, confirming what I thought. Even in the magical world I was weird.

"But there are other ways witches and wizards that can change their appearance, and I can promise that you will find people who will accept you readily. It is a great thing to be who you are young lady. You should be proud," Dumbledore told me, his smile was calming and infectious.

Steve coughed to get our attention to ask, "So. I'm assuming, Evan, that you would like to attend this school then?" I almost squealed, but I held back, "Yes please, Steve." My eyes were big, round, and pleading. He sighed, defeated, "Alright, alright. But I have no clue where to get all this weird stuff from your school list."

Dumbledore spoke up, "I can have the headmistress take you. She'll show you where to go, Evangeline, and you can take you guardian if you please." I was so excited, I get to go to school, and not just any school, one that will teach me magic! I jumped up and started shouting, "Yes please! I'll take him just this once please! Oh my gosh! I get to go to school! Yes! Thank you!" I finished and stopped jumping around and pulled my hair in front of my face to find it pink and wavy. Dang, I was blushing now, I keep losing my calm today.

Dumbledore was chuckling now, he seemed very amused. "Professor McGonagall will be here June 1st to see to your school supplies. She'll explain all of that to you, and you should know we carry a different currency than the non magical world. You can make exchanges at our bank, Mr. Kelpie, but also, Evangeline's mother left her some money. The headmistress will see to it that you have everything you need."

Dumbledore stood, probably deciding it was time for him to leave, and added, "I look forward to your arrival at Hogwarts, I do find it to be a... magical place." We saw him to the door and he promptly disappeared after walking outside. What an exit, I thought to myself, apparently Steve thought the same because his eyes seemed ready to fall out of his head.

He turned to me, "Well, are you ready to explain this all to Beth?" I could feel myself literally turn green. "Do we have to," I asked him meekly. He nodded his head; I am doomed.

 **Author's Note:**

I have no idea what I'm doing, but oh well. I'm trying to just crank out as many chapters as possible for now.


	3. Chapter 3

It was 2 months later and the morning of the 1st of June. We told Mrs. Kelpie I was going to go to a magical boarding school, she thought we were both crazy, and she still thinks it's a joke. I've been awake since six this morning, it was almost ten o'clock now, and just as I was wondering when the Professor was going to show up, there was a ring at the door, I flew out of my bedroom, a lot like the time when Dumbledore had come by a few months earlier.

I was at the door in seconds and was very happy to see a strange looking woman on the other side of it. She had brown, graying hair that was in a tight bun, with green robes on and what I thoroughly considered to be a witches hat; It suited her well enough. She had a stern looking expression, but a soft, kind face; I assure you there is a difference. She looked down at me, and I knew I was getting over excited so I took a deep breath. She looked almost amused at my antics and the sudden change from excited to calm, but I used my manners; Steve definitely taught me some things I should know.

Steve came up behind me and asked who was at the door, like he didn't know, and Professor McGonagall (or whom I assumed to be the professor, but really, who else could it be) introduced herself as such. Told you so. After we invited her in, she explained that we'd be going to Diagon Alley, which was like a shopping district for the wizarding world.

"By chance do you have a fireplace," she asked, quite out of the blue. Steve told her we did and pointed her towards the living room. We followed her there and watched as she pulled out a wand, I readily guessed as much, and she waved it at the fireplace, and it started to shift. Like it was alive and it was stretching it's legs, it shifted, and it stretched more, standing taller and then stopped moving all together; it was now big enough to stand in, and I think the bricks changed. It was very cool, it was even cooler that Steve looked purple. I assumed he had stopped breathing so I nudged him with my elbow and he gasped a bit, but turned back to a normal-ish color.

The professor asked if anyone else would be accompanying me, and I told her no. Mrs. Kelpie was luckily working all day today, and if I did decide to take her, she could very well have a heart attack I suspect.

She told me to stand in our now weird fireplace, and held a small bag of something to me. "Now just take a handful of Floo powder, say nice and clearly Diagon Alley, and throw the power to your feet. Flames will come up, but they aren't hot or even warm, I assure you. When you get there, step out and to the side and wait for me and your guardian to arrive. Is that understood Ms. Prince," Professor McGonagall asked me. I nodded my head, preparing for what ever could happen next. I took the powder, said my destination, and in dropping the powder, flames grew around me. Next thing I know, I'm being pulled, very quickly, to somewhere else. All I saw was, when my eyes were open, were green flames. It didn't hurt, and when it stopped I stepped forward, a little dizzy.

I looked around the new place I was in, and it was amazing. There were people everywhere, and some were wearing normal muggle (the Professor explained what it meant) clothes and some wearing robes. I think I was in a tavern, maybe? I stepped to the side and waited patiently; a few seconds later Steve and the Professor stepped out at the same time; Steve wasn't coping well, I don't think. I was told we were in the Leaky Cauldron, and we'd be stopping by Gringotts first before we went shopping. I found Gringotts to be a bank, a very gloomy, tense bank full of grumpy, little men. We left Steve outside, I didn't think he could handle it, and me and Professor McGonagall went inside. She handed me a key and told me not to lose it.

We approached one of the little, grumpy men, and told him I'd like to exchange some money and visit my vault. We exchanged the money, muggle to wizard, and he didn't even say anything to us other than 'money' or 'here' or 'key' or 'this way' and I could hear about the same conversations from the other grumpy men. Professor McGonagall told me to hand him my key and we followed him to a mine cart thing. When we opened my vault we found a huge amount of money. According to the professor, if I used it wisely then it would last me until I was 25 years old. Well that sounded like a lot to me, she gave me a velvet bag with some variation of coins, and all I could tell you is that it was heavy and very full.

We left and met back up with Steve, we got my books, I refused to buy the brand new ones. They were so expensive, and honestly the older ones looked fine, plus they smelled like old books, it's a very nice smell. Then we went and picked up the rest of the things I needed, the professor insisted I go buy my wand last, so that's where we were headed after buying the rest.

I left Steve outside again; he could handle shopping for robes, phials, even the cauldron, but the books I was going to be studying scared him, and on the way to Ollivander's we went past the pet shop and he almost fainted.

So I went inside with my soon to be headmistress. We approached an old man who looked up halfheartedly, and then seemed to notice we were actually standing there.

"Well... hello there, and who might you be," the man asked. I feel like he was asking for more than my name. I stared at him for awhile; at first glance he seems a little creepy or standoffish, but he looked kind and curious. His eyes twinkled and he had a secret smirk that he wouldn't let show just yet. I smiled shyly at him, I realized I was staring at him, and I hadn't even answered his question. But seeing as he wasn't asking for my name, or at least that's how I heard it, then I would give him a correct answer.

"Well I don't very well know, you see, there's so many things for me to be. I haven't even chosen yet. And that's if I get to choose at all, sir, for if it's already been decided then I haven't found out yet, " I answered him softly, looking at the floor for most of that time. I wasn't very use to talking to strangers yet. But what I had just said reminded me of a book I read about a very odd girl in a very peculiar world, with people who spoke riddles and half truths.

He smiled widely, and told me, "Well a name could suffice for now."

I smiled a little more readily this time and looked up fully, "Evangeline Ann Prince, sir," I told him; after talking with Steve, we'd decided that using my real last name wouldn't hurt anyone.

"Well Ms. Prince, let's find you a wand then," Ollivander said, humming slightly at the end and walking off into the his store with small boxes stacked on every place you could see. He brought me a wand and told me it was Larch wood, said to give it a wave, I did and the lights went out. They came back on soon, and he said he didn't think it matched me well. He came back again with a willow wand, but when I waved this one it only spluttered some sad looking colors out of the tip then threw itself out of my hand. Ollivander said that we could find better much better, and went off again.

He came back smiling; I guess he found something good then. He handed me a wand and I looked at it for a moment; it was light brown and had silver bands between where my hand goes, outlining where to hold it. After the handle the wood spiraled to the tip of the wand, and the other end was carved to look a bit like a large, pointy tooth, at least, that's what it looked like to me.

Looking back up to the wand maker, he encouraged me to give it a wave. Colorful, soft lights spiraled slowly out of my wand and curled and disappeared into the air like smoke. I have a feeling my eyes did something similar. I looked back up to Ollivander and he smiled warmly at me, then I turned to Professor McGonagall and she honestly looked a little proud. We paid for my new wand, and Ollivander told me that the wand chose me. And before I could think, I told him I already knew that when he put it in my hand, he just smiled, again almost creepily, but it looked nothing but kind to me.

We left and I could only think about how odd it was that no one came into the store the whole time we were in there.

We went back to the Leaky Cauldron and Flooed home, the Professor told me to be at platform nine and three quarters in London, on September 1st; the train left exactly at 11 o'clock, and it would be wise to be there early.

I couldn't wrap my head around it. I was going to school, an actual school. One that would teach me magic. Beth wasn't home yet so I let loose. I screamed and squealed and jumped up and down. My hair was every where and so were my eyes, but for once I really didn't mind. I was too excited to care. Three months and I get to go to school, three months and I get to do things I've never dreamed of. Maybe I could even make my first friends. September couldn't come any quicker.

 **Author's Note:**

This chapter would have been up earlier, but I got very enamored with what kind of wand she would get. Whoops.


	4. Chapter 4

It's September 1st today, and not much has happened. Beth still thinks we're joking about the whole magic thing. She thinks I'm just going to some boarding school that her 'lovely husband' set up so she didn't have to be around the 'weird child'. I might have over heard a conversation or two. I don't mind too much; I don't like her bunches either, she's mean. I still try not to talk too much so I can stay calm. I don't know what would happen if I did something weird in front of anyone at school. I'll try to make some friends though.

I had everything packed into a trunk for school, and I put my money into a little purse. I brought a bigger bag with me; I put my robes in there, a water bottle, my wand, a book, and my small purse. Me and Steve got everything loaded into his truck and left for the London station. We got there at 9:30 and we were looking for platform nine and three quarters. And the funniest thing happened; I watched a small family walk right through a barrier, and Steve didn't even notice. As I saw someone else walk up to the same barrier, I pointed it out to Steve as the man walked through as well. He seemed more purple now than his regular peachy skin.

I thought it was very exciting, we could walk right through it? I grabbed Steve's hand and started pulling, and running towards the barrier. Before Steve could even scream, we were on the other side. There weren't a lot of people there, but we were very early. I put my trunk with a few others, and went to talk to Steve.

"Well, just send me letters often and let me know how this school thing works out," he said, still looking kind of purple. I nodded and told him, "Well, you'll be getting them by owl. Professor McGonagall told me, and you can write me a letter back and send it with the same owl, okay?" He seemed likely to faint so I told him I was getting on the train and he could leave now. He seemed kind of relieved, but before he left he gave me a very awkward one-armed hug. It made me laugh loudly, and then I said goodbye and got on the train.

I found an empty compartment and sat down. Looking out the window, I could see more people coming through the barrier. I guess we'll be filling up soon, huh. I busied myself by reading, and when I looked up I could see the station was filled with people and it was only, oh, it was 10:30 already. That's when someone opened the door to the compartment I was in. I boy with brown hair and a round face poked his head in. When he saw me he turned scarlet, and started to speak, "I'm sorry, it's just that everywhere else is full up and..." I stopped him, already smiling, "It's fine, there's only me in here, take a seat if you'd like."

He seemed nice, and I was looking for friends, so I'd have to talk to people, this should be easy enough, right? He sat across from me, he seemed kind of timid really, so I thought I'd start. "So what's your name, then," I asked him. He seemed to turn red again, I didn't mind; people changing color was fascinating. "Neville Longbottom, and you," he asked me timidly. "Oh it's Evangeline Ann Prince, but you can call me Evan if you like," I told him, trying to give him an encouraging friendly smile, I hoped that's what it looked like at least.

He seemed to accept this, and turned back to a normal color. Then another person showed up, she had brown hair that seemed to have a frizz problem. She looked in and asked, "You guys mind if I join you?" Neville shook his head and I said, "Not at all." She introduced herself as Hermione Granger, and the three of us talked for awhile, at which some point the train left the station.

Neville lives with his grandma, who apparently wears some odd accessories, and Hermione's parents are muggles and her dad is a dentist. "Oh, Mrs. Kelpie is a dentist," I said at the mention of her dad's job. They looked at me funny, so I explained. "Well she's one of my guardians." They still looked slightly befuddled so I continued slowly, "I'm. A-dopt-ed," I said, pronouncing each syllable. They looked taken aback, a little shocked, that had me worried. I asked, "What? Is that weird? Oh no, it's weird isn't it.." I could feel myself deflate.

"No no," Hermione almost shouted, "It's perfectly fine, Evan, it's not too uncommon really. You just caught us off guard. Right Neville, " Hermione asked. But Neville wasn't paying attention he was looking around for something, and he just started to get more and more panicked. "Hey Neville, slow down, what are you looking for," I asked him in my calmest voice. He looked up, and he was trying not to cry. "My pet toad is gone," he told me as he tried not to cry. "It's alright Neville, we'll help look for him," I said firmly.

The three of us search the compartment and found nothing, so me and Hermione went on a search through the train. She went to the right, towards the front, and I went left, towards the back. I kept my eye's on the ground and stopped at every door to ask if anyone saw him. I was just searching the ground again when I bumped into something very tall and sturdy. I jumped back in fright and tripped over myself. I ended up sitting on the floor.

I looked up to find two identical faces, ginger hair, and double smirks of amusement. "You should watch where you're going," the boy on the left said. "Wouldn't want to bump into anyone, would you," the one on the right said. They both held out a hand, and in taking both, they lifted me back to my feet. "Oy, Fred, are you seeing what I'm seeing," the one on the right said to the match on his left. "I think I do George," the other replied, eye brows raised and looking at me. "She's tiny," they exclaimed in unison, looking at each other as if they just discovered something mind blowing, and then staring at me again.

I was trying not to laugh my head off, but my smile stayed. One looked at the other, "She's like an insect," he said. "But she's too cute to be a dung beetle," the other said, "or even a grasshopper," the first added. They both looked at me, studying what I looked like, I blushed a bit and and cocked my head, slightly, just waiting for them to decide what I was, apparently. The second exclaimed, "Oh, I know," and the other seemed to catch on. They both turned to each other and then back to me, they seemed very excited, and both exclaimed, "A rabbit!" Like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Well my name's Fred," the one on the right told me, "and this is George," he told me, pointing to the boy on the left.

I felt it would be easy to tell them apart, they were very similar, but their expressions and even their voices had different things about them. Fred coughed and looked expectantly at me, "And your name little bunny," he asked me. "Oh it's Evangeline, but you can call me Evan if you like," I told them, then added, "Oh, have you seen a toad, a boy named Neville lost one." They shook their head and George told me, "We've only seen-" "a bunny today," Fred finished. How very odd, but they are very funny.

They left with a swift goodbye and the mumbling of Percy and a dungbomb. I kept up my search, but after stopping at one door at the end of the train, I decided to end my search. The last door I stopped at was not the friendliest, to say the least. But there was one odd boy who seemed like he wasn't the same as the others. I went back to where Neville and Hermione were, we all got changed, and sat waiting for us to arrive, hopefully, our new home.

 **Draco**

Every one was completely quiet, it's not like we had anything to talk about anymore. I don't see how anyone talks to Crabbe or Goyle, and I was adamantly ignoring Parkinson. Nott, Zabini, and I were fine with the silence. The silence however wasn't very long as there was a knock at the door, and then it slid open. A small girl with blue eyes and long wavy blonde hair stood there, she honestly looked younger than us, but everyone is eleven when they go to Hogwarts so I didn't think on it much.

"I'm very sorry to interrupt," she wasn't, because we weren't even talking, "but a boy named Neville lost his toad, have you seen it," she asked softly. Parkinson sneered and Crabbe and Goyle were fighting over a chocolate frog. Zabini and Nott shook their heads no, while scowling at the girl. I just stared at her for a little too long then ignored her all together. She just smiled kindly, apologized, and left. I doubt she'll be a Slytherin, I felt sort of disappointed.

 **Author's Note:**

Not much to say really, getting into the school stuff now. I surprise myself at how much I'm winging it presently. I usually plan stuff or what ever, but this is mostly practice writing so I suppose it's fine. I'll try to keep putting out chapters quickly, and maybe put a little thought into them before hand. That might be a good idea, huh.


	5. Chapter 5

When the train stopped, everyone filed out. The older students disappeared somewhere and a very large man gathered us up, "Alrigh' now, gather 'bout. First years over er'," he bellowed. He walked beside all the first years to the docks, and I walked beside him. I looked up to him curiously, I'd never seen such a big person. Then he looked down at me, "you wouldn't by chance be scared, would ya," he asked me; he seemed a bit worried. I looked back up at him, still very curious, and shook my head no. He seemed to sigh in relief slightly, and said, "then why migh' ya be starin' then," he asked me, now curious as well.

I smiled a bit saying, "Oh, you just feel really gentle is all. My names Evangeline, but people call me Evan usually." He still looked a bit confused, but replied anyway, "Ye can call me Hagrid, nice to meet ya Evan."

He helped all the first years into the boats and we sailed across to the school. The school was like a ginormous castle, and the lake looked like a liquid night sky. I lost Neville and Hermione in the crowd at some point, and everyone was walking up toward the gates to the castle now and I tripped and fell over. I didn't even trip over anything, my feet just got tangled with each other. I was on my hands and knees, asking myself why I have to be a klutz when I saw a pair of black shoes in front of . Looking up I saw a pale hand connected to a blonde haired boy. His hair was slicked back and his face was blank, but he felt warm to me.

I smiled thankfully and took his hand. After helping me up he asked me with a frown, "How did you trip anyway?" I blushed profusely, "I- well I really just, kind of tripped over my... own feet," I told him, looking at his shiny black shoes instead of his face. But when I did look up, he was half-smiling at me and chuckling quietly. He very quickly went back to a blank expression when he saw I was staring at him. Dang, this better not become a habit.

He coughed and started walking again with the rest of the students, me in tow. We didn't talk much on our way in, but it wasn't weird at all, it felt quite nice, like I didn't have to say anything. When we got inside Professor McGonagall told us to wait, and that we'd be sorted into our houses in a minute. Neville found his toad while she was talking, she didn't seem very pleased. After she left I watched as Draco said some mean things, that I honestly didn't 100 percent understand. I did understand that he wasn't being very nice, which was very confusing, where was the nice boy who helped me up.

The boys he was talking to were called Ron and Harry, I caught on, and the Ron boy looked a lot like the pair of boys on the train who were very funny. The professor then brought us into the Great Hall, as she called it, and it was quite great, and told us to wait for out names to be called. We watched as a hat was placed on a stool; then it started singing.

 _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap! _

Everyone started clapping and the sorting began. Kids were called, they sat on the stool, and the hat went on their heads. The hat shouted out a house, one table would cheer and the others would clap politely, and that person would go to the table that cheered. I was very curious about the odd talking hat.

Hermione was called, she sat there for a second or two and the hat shouted Gryffindor and she happily went to her table. Neville went up and went to the same house. Draco went up, and the hat barely touched his head before it shouted Slytherin, he seemed immensely happy. I was finally called and so I went up slowly, looking at all the people I passed. The table dressed in red seemed curious, the yellow table felt encouraging, the blue table studied me like I was a math problem they already solved, and the green table was a mix of being plainly ignored and sneered at. Except for Draco who gave me a small smile.

I finally got to the stool and sat down carefully, and the hat was placed on my head. It started talking, presumably in my head. _Well aren't you a special little girl_ it said. _You could have started with hello, it's only nice since we haven't met before_ I told him. _Fine fine, hello Ms. Prince_ it stated bemusedly. _Hello to you as well Mr. Hat. So which house will I be in FOR ETERNITY_ I asked him, adding some dramatics.

 _Well you are very smart, aren't you, you would do fine in Ravenclaw_ he said thoughtfully. _They seemed kind of hard to approach, huh,_ I said almost sadly. _But you could do grandly in Hufflepuff, you'd blend in perfectly_ he told me. _They seemed nice I guess..._ I trailed off in thought. I really just wanted to make friends, I've never had a real friend before, or a family, it'd be silly to make everyone my friend though, wouldn't it. _Not at all Ms. Prince_ the hat startled me out of my thoughts. _You can do just that, I can see you will do well anywhere I put you, even Slytherin would have you; you could easily tame all four houses. But if friends are what you want you will find them readily all around you, so do not worry Ms. Prince. You will be one daring_ GRYFFINDOR.

I smiled brightly and thanked the hat before it came off my head. I walked over to my table that was cheering very loudly. The twins, Fred and George were yelling louder than the rest about getting a rabbit and as I went to walk past them to sit with Hermione, they reached out and pulled me over to sit with them. I was very surprised but laughed none the less and sat with them through the entire night.

 **Author's Note:**

Well, I need to work on the endings to these chapters. I'm thinking on editing some of the beginning chapters very soon. I might combine the first two or something. There won't be any drastic changes, and if there are I'll say something, but I very well doubt it. That's pretty much it for now.


	6. Chapter 6

While the last few people were being sorted, Fred and George tried questioning me. They aren't very good at it. They kept asking question after question, never stopping for an answer. They made it very difficult not to laugh. I think it's because I keep holding back, that they keep trying to make me laugh. But then food appeared out of no where on everyone's plates. It was very interesting, and everyone started digging in. I didn't know where to start, I was admittedly hesitant.

Next thing I know, George and Fred start piling things onto my plate. When they finish they look at me expectantly, so I quickly take a bite of something - it was delicious - and looked up at them. They gave a short nod of approval and went back to eating and talking to others around them. How very curious, I think I like them well enough. I finished eating and looked up to George, on my right, and he looked down at me.

"Hey aren't you a little small, even for a first year," he asked me curiously. "Why yes, yes I am. I thank you kindly for noticing," I replied smugly. He laughed uproariously, I like people laughing, makes me smile. He looked down at me amused, but before he could say something Fred made a noise to get his brothers attention, "PSSST GEORGE," he whisper/screamed, "WE UP FOR THAT THING THEN," he asked George. "NOT TONIGHT, I RAN OUT OF THE THING, " he replied, making fun and copying his twin's dramatics. Fred replied with a pout, but then dinner ended and the first years were told to follow their prefects.

I jumped up, but before running off I said bye to Fred and George, and waving goodbye, I chased after the other first years who were leaving. I caught up and found Hermione, who was curious as to where I'd been. I told her about the twins, she didn't seem the happiest with their shenanigans, but let it go. We were taken through passage ways and up and down moving stairs - really cool by the way - to the Gryffindor common room. We were given a room, and I'd be sharing it with Hermione, a girl named Lavender, and another girl called Parvati. I picked the bed closest to the door and Hermione took the bed next to mine, Parvati was next to her, and lastly Lavender. We were all really tired, so we just crashed.

The next morning I woke up way too early. Everyone else was still sleeping, and opening the curtain things to my bed, I found the sun to have just come out fully from it's hiding place. I groaned quietly, and went to find the bathrooms. I showered and dressed in my uniform, braiding my hair took forever, it was pretty long, and I grabbed my bag putting my potions, DADA, and charms books in it. I grabbed my time table too, putting it in my bag as well; we got our schedule during dinner. I grabbed my wand last minute, and left the room.

I got in the common room, no one was there, predictably. I left through the portrait hole, careful not to wake the fat lady, and left to explore the school a bit. I didn't get too far before I found myself ready for breakfast, so I went to the great hall, and no one was there but for a few students and teachers, and someone I knew was in there. A pale blonde head was sitting at the green table eating, I would have waved or gone to sit with him, but he was reading adamantly. So I left him to his book and sat down to eat.

I had some blueberry waffles and a banana with a glass of orange juice. Best. Breakfast. Ever. As I was eating I felt like someone was staring at me, I looked up and around and saw an older student sitting a ways from me, but he seemed to be taking notes out of a book. There weren't many other students, and the ones that were there, were busy eating. I looked up to where the teachers ate, and sitting there was Dumbledore, eating what looked like a taco, a short stout lady with curly short brown hair, and a man with black hair and black robes.

I looked over to Draco, who seemed to quickly look down at his book, and I looked back up to the teachers. The man with black hair stared at me openly for a moment before saying something to Dumbledore, who just laughed and continued eating his taco. The man in black looked at me again before picking up what looked like a newspaper and busied himself with it. How very odd, I thought to myself.

I took my time eating, and people eventually started drifting in, some looking very sleepy-eyed. I got up, finished with breakfast, and went in search of something to do before class. I was roaming aimlessly for awhile in the empty hallways, and while I was walking I looked down at my shoes, they were beaten up black converse, and I was just wondering when I'd gotten them when I bumped into a warm soft wall.

I looked up surprised at the obstacle finding it to be the twins. They looked down at me bleary-eyed with their hair sticking up in different directions. I smiled up at them brightly, "Good morning," I said. They started talking to each other instead of me, "It's very unfair Fred," said George, sighing. His brother asked, "Would that be the bunny you're talking about?" George answered him, "Yes, it's very unfair, you see, it must be a crime." "A crime. Here, here," added his brother. "For it must be criminal to be adorable so early in the morning," George finished, and they both looked down at me again.

I sighed dramatically and, changed the topic, "Do you guys know where the first year potions class is?" They both looked at me in horror, "No!" Fred yelled like he watched me being stabbed. "Oh no!" George cried out fake sobbing. "She's doomed," they both chorused, heads bowed like they were mourning. I looked up at them confused and worried, "I- I mean, what? Are you guys okay," I asked them timidly, but admittedly confused.

They took a moment, staring at me, then burst into theatrical tears, George crying on Fred's shoulder, and Fred looking up at the ceiling, holding back fake tears. I frown/pouted at them, really trying not to laugh, as usual. These two were surely going to make me laugh, and then all would be lost I thought dramatically. But honestly I really didn't want everyone to know about my serious weirdness just yet.

So I sighed and told them I'd find the class on my own, but last second they gave me directions, said good luck, and ran off to get breakfast. "What was that about.." I thought out loud, but left off for class. I got lost a few times, but managed to get to class before I'd be considered late. Everyone else were in their seats, luckily for me there was an empty one, by Hermione, in the front.

I sat down and she smiles at me. I quickly pulled out some parchment, a quill, ink bottle, and my potions book. The man in black walked quickly into the room saying, "There will be no silly wand waving or incantations in this class," and I swear it sounded like he was singing it instead of just saying it.

He continued, "As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few...who possess the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death," he finished quite dramatically. I thought that he must really like potions; he made it sound really appealing. I was quickly writing down what he said, he seemed to be very poetic on top of liking potions, he stopped right in front of me.

"Is there a reason you aren't paying attention Ms..." he asked me. waiting for me to fill in the blank of my name for him.

"Prince, sir," I said looking down, "And I'm sorry sir, I was taking notes." I didn't look up to see his expression, but he was quiet for a moment before asking me, "On what could you be taking notes, I haven't given you anything to study as of yet, Ms. Prince," he asked me venomously. I looked up slightly, "Well sir, your speech was kind of poetic," the class quietly laughed, "I just thought I'd write it down so I wouldn't forget it," I told him almost whispering now, worried about his wrath and the class laughing at anything else I might say.

"Hmm... 5 points to Gryffindor for having an artistic and attentive student, " he said, sounding like he was frowning. I looked up at the same time that I heard the class gasp in surprise. He wasn't looking at me and had already walked to a different part of the class to start the lesson. We went over the basics and safety of potion-making, and what we'd be doing over the year. The class ended and I headed to lunch.

I sat with Hermione, and she told me how Professor Snape hated Gryffindor, at least that's what she heard from other students, and I just nodded my head and ate my sandwich. She eventually moved on to other subjects. She told me about Harry and Ron, who I remembered from before the sorting ceremony. She had to explain to me about the-boy-who-lived and all that. I thought it sounded a little silly, he was only a baby. Younger than Ollie, my adoptive baby brother, and he only sits around crying and making messes and laughing at clouds. We eventually left for our next class, DADA.

Defense against the dark arts was alright, it was mostly theory and history that we'd be learning about, and the teacher was... not great. It wasn't his stuttering or the head thing he wore that made me not like him much. I really couldn't tell you what exactly it was; he just felt... wrong.

Anyway. The last class of the day was charms with a small man named Flitwick. He was very nice, and I liked his class already. Whether or not I'd be any good at charms was still unknown to me. I spent my time after class in the library, exploring all the weird books. I ate dinner with Hermione, and left early to go to bed. It had been a very interesting day.

 **Author's Note:**

If you haven't noticed, I'm very fond of Fred and George, I could very well write another story for George and another OC. Love em'. In other news maybe I'll actually wait a bit before I upload the next chapter, who knows. I might just write all day tomorrow and upload the day after that. But for now, I shall sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

It's been a few months since school started and I really like my classes. I'm learning about stuff I never imagined was real. In the past few months I learned to fly, which is a lot of fun, how to make stuff levitate, how to brew a real potion, and stuff like that, and I think I've started to make friends. Fred and George seem to like me, Neville is always nice, and Hermione and I hang out a lot. She doesn't seem like the trouble making kind but just the other week she was caught in the bathroom with a troll, how exciting!

I've written to Steve and when he wrote back he told me the owl scared the life right out of him. I told him about my classes, but I left out my flying lessons because I think he might have fainted while reading it. I didn't tell him about the troll in the girls room either, or about how Neville's potion blew up in his face, or how his broom lost control; that boy has some very bad luck.

I've learned my class schedule and almost never get lost in the castle anymore. I like walking down by the lake, the giant squid is very nice, and I some times hang around the edge of the forbidden forest early in the morning because it reminds me of something straight out of a fairy tale. The light shimmers off the trees and there's something so alive about it. I also like hanging around the library, there's a lot of weird books in there, and I've met some of the older students there.

They're all really nice, one Ravenclaw boy recommended a book on mythical creatures for me to read, and a Hufflepuff girl gave me some of her old books on rare species of plants. The Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Oliver, is especially nice. He practices late on Saturdays and he lets me fly with him, sometimes we have races, it's so much fun. I haven't run into too many older Slytherin students, but one Slytherin girl in the library helped me with my charms homework. She doesn't really talk to me much when we aren't alone though.

I'm having a lot of fun, and it's very hard to keep my appearance in check, but I'm getting better at it. As long as I don't get too excited, or too anything really, I can keep myself from changing. Which is good, because if people knew... they would reject me like Mrs. Kelpie does. They would treat me differently, or they'd look at me differently. They wouldn't like me anymore, I'd be the freak. So I won't let them find out.

Hermione hangs out with those two boys, Harry and Ron. Harry is very nice, but Ron seems kind of like a doofus. But since Hermione seems to like them, I haven't said anything about it.

I haven't run into Draco too much at school, and he try's not to look at me while we're in class, like potions. I really don't know what I did; I just hope that I didn't accidentally slip up, and my eyes changed or something, and he saw. Because other than that I don't know why he'd ignore me like he is.

While I'm on the subject of potions, apparently Professor Snape treats differently, and I've noticed. He's very mean to his students, and more than just strict, but he's actually some what nice to me. I have no clue why, but I'm not going to argue about someone being nice. I rather like Professor Snape, when he's being nice anyway; he doesn't seem to get angry or sad or happy though. It's all very odd.

Christmas was very soon and the students going home were getting packed. Hermione was going but the Weasley family was staying along with Harry. I was staying to, and I'd already bought some presents and had wrapped them and everything, but to be honest I wasn't expecting anything from anyone. Maybe Steve would send me something small, but otherwise I didn't think I'd get anything. I'd never gotten anything before except the occasional gift from Steve. I was honestly fine with it, and I was really excited to be staying at Hogwarts over Christmas.

I'd given Hermione her gift before she got on the train, it was a set of new quills; she's always breaking or losing hers. I'd gotten Steve to send me some muggle candy to give to all the older students who were very kind to me, can't believe they've never had a snickers before. They were all going home as well. After I saw off Hermione and a few of the others I went back up to the castle, it was freezing outside.

I spent the next few day with the twins, who got up to all sorts of trouble. They knew so much about the castle too. Hidden passages and secret rooms, different hiding spots and they even showed me how to get into the kitchens! I've never met a house elf before and they were all so very nice.

On Christmas Eve I asked the house elf's for a favor; to put out the gifts I got for everyone under the tree at midnight. They accepted gladly, and I went to the dinner. The Great Hall's ceiling was enchanted to have snow fall from it, the snow was warm and soft. I ate and laughed with the few people I knew who stayed for Christmas, and then went to bed.

The next morning was Christmas, and Parvati was hitting me with a pillow, "Wake up! Evan, get up! It's Christmas! UP! UP!" she shouted at me. I rolled over to her, "What time is it," I asked her, very disgruntled. She told me it was 9 a.m. and that I needed to open my gifts. Which was a funny statement because I never got gifts, but looking over to the Christmas Tree in our room and I saw a pile of wrapped presents under it.

I stared at it for awhile, just wondering why there would be presents there. Maybe they were for me? I didn't want to feel hopeful, but I thought that checking wouldn't hurt. So I got out of bed and slowly went over to the tree. Bending over and looking closely I found that each gift had my name on it. Parvati seemed to notice I was having a moment and left. Lavender went home for Christmas, and so I was alone in the room. As soon as I was alone I let go.

My hair shifted around and I felt my eyes change color. And I was crying, like a lot. I was sobbing, and I whipped my nose on my pajama sleeve. I sat on the ground and started unwrapping my presents. Hermione gave me a journal that was lavender with dark pink and light blue flowers stitched into the cover. Oliver gave me a chaser's dragon skin gloves with a note to join the team next year, and Neville got me a flower that changed color when you touched it according to your mood. That was seriously ironic.

George and Fred got me a beaded rainbow bracelet, they left a note explaining that if I pull a bead off then throw it as someone, their hair would turn the same color as the bead. Even Harry got me something, a box of chocolate frogs. Steve sent me a dress, it was light blue and came with a crop top like jacket that was black. It was really simple and cute so I put it on quickly with some thick white leggings and rain boots and ran down stairs after checking in the mirror.

 **Author's Note:**

Okay, so I was kinda drawing blanks on what to write next for awhile there. But I eventually decided to just sit down and fucking spout non-sense until I figured my shit out. Which actually worked, so here's a chapter and I actually have some resemblance of an idea as to what the next chapter will be. I'm even impressed with myself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Draco**

I usually go home for Christmas; mother insists that we spend family time together, while father usually has us attend formal balls and the such. But this year he had business to attend to and mother did as well, apparently. There wasn't a point of going back to a big mansion with no one in it except for the house elves. I expected a few gifts from mother, and one from father. And looking through my gifts Christmas morning, that is exactly what I found, with the exception of one small present.

It stood out among my parents presents, which were wrapped in silver paper. The small present was wrapped in dark blue paper with silver snow flakes; it was addressed _To: Draco From: Evan._ It was odd, no one called me Draco except my parents. Who was Evan? Evangeline? She got me a present? I was skeptical to say the least. I don't accept presents from anyone but my parents, I always refuse my 'friends' gifts. They were artificial and left a bad taste in my mouth.

It could be a prank, but I don't take the small girl as the cruel kind. She was too soft for such things like a trick present. So I carefully unwrapped it. A note fell out, and I read it before opening the present fully.

 _I know we don't talk really, but I thought I'd give you something anyway. I hope you don't mind. It looks like a silly decoration, but it's a guard. Put it on your desk, or anywhere really, and if anyone but you try's to even touch your things, they'll be in for a scare. Happy Christmas Draco._

 _Evangeline_

I didn't know what to think, so I opened the gift to find a small box, and opening that I found a beige, speckled, ceramic dragon. It was the size of my hand, and it's eyes were dark gray. It stood, tale wrapped around it's legs, chin up, like it was royalty. I placed it on my desk, next to my bed. I found Nott sitting on his bed unwrapping something or other.

"Oy, Nott, go fetch that dragon from my desk for me," I told him. He gave me an annoyed look, asking "What are you on about now?" I scowled and demanded, "Just do it already." He got up, scowling as well, and walked over to my desk. He reached for the dragon, but the ceramic came to life, going from a regal sit, to a crouch, ready to pounce. Steam came out of its' nostrils and its eyes flashed red. Nott tripped backwards, and the dragon went back to sitting, it was still again.

I chuckled, apologized, and went back to the dragon to inspect it. What a very cool decoration. I wonder how the girl charmed it. I also wonder what would happen if someone ignored the dragons warning crouch. I smiled, and went about getting ready for my day, and thought about whether or not I should thank Evangeline for the present.

 **Evangeline**

I went down to the common room to hang out with everyone. George and Fred thanked me for the "hilarious muggle magic" which I replied with hugs for both, while thanking them for the bracelet. Harry thanked me for the snitch in a snow glob that I gave him since he got on the team and was doing really well. Neville thanked me for the royal blue ribbon I gave him, but also he asked me what it was. I blushed and explained, I forgot to write him a note.

You tied the ribbon on your wrist, and unlike the rememberal he got, this ribbon would turn red and give you clues as to what you've forgotten. Golden stitching would stitch itself into the ribbon in the form of a picture that might make you remember. Like if I forgot to write a letter to Steve the ribbon would stitch some writing in the form of gibberish or a quill, like the ribbon was writing a letter. Then maybe I'd remember. He blushed and smiled at me largely, thanking me again.

I ran off to the kitchens after that morning in the common room, I had asked the house elf's yesterday to prepare some stuff for me. When I got into the kitchen I started to bake. I made blueberry muffins, a lot of them. As soon as I was done I put them in a basket that an elf found for me and I ran off for the Great Hall. It was a late breakfast today since everyone was taking there time for unwrapping presents and just chatting and being merry.

So when I got to the Great Hall, pretty much everyone who had stayed for Christmas was there. There weren't too many people, and I passed out a muffin to every one of them. Then I went up to the front of the Great Hall, where the teachers sat, and they were far and few between. Professor sprout sat at the far right, so I started there. She took one gladly, and thanked me, next down the table was Professor McGonagall and Hagrid, who were talking about something or other. They both smiled brightly at me and took a muffin. It was nice to make people happy on Christmas.

To the left of them was Professor Dumbledore, who laughed merrily and asked me if I made them myself. I told him I did, and he immediately took a bite and thanked me. Lastly, at the end of the table to the left was Professor Snape. When I asked him if he's like a muffin he kind of just stared at me blankly for a second. "Professor?" I asked curiously, holding a muffin out to him. He blinked for a minute, seemingly surprised with himself. He took the muffin and seemed to go back to the blank expression he always has. "Thank you, " he said blandly. He might not have smiled, or seemed happy at all. But he was surprised for once, which was a grand accomplishment in my book.

I smiled happily at him, and replied, "You're welcome Professor, it's the least I could do." His eyes widened a bit. More surprise I think, wow I'm on a roll today. I smiled again, and waved goodbye to him and the other teachers. I went to sit with my friends, I think it's okay to call them that, right? But I saw someone coming into the hall. I went to catch up with him.

"Hi Draco! Happy Christmas! Muffin?" I asked once I got to him. We were at the end of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. He looked at me for a second, contemplating, then held out his had. I handed him a blueberry muffin, and he started to talk, "Thank you..." "Oh, no problem-" "Not for the muffin, well yes for the muffin, but really for the gift," he explained. "Oh, that? Well I just had the idea and then it stuck, so I thought it wouldn't hurt, I hope you don't mind, " I said quietly. I'm lucky it wasn't loud in here like it usually is or he wouldn't have heard me.

"Well, it was very funny to watch Nott fall over from fright," he said smirking. "Oh no, is he alright," I asked, trying not to laugh, but not completely succeeding. "He was fine," he informed me, smiling now, "Oh right, what happens if you ignore the warning crouch," he asked me. "The dragon breaths fire!" I said comically loud, "it's warm but it won't catch anything on fire," I finished and smiled. "Very interesting, thank you Evangeline," he said politely. He was holding back I think, but I don't mind, I always hold back.

We went our separate ways, him to his table, and me to mine. I sat between Fred and George, as I've come to do fairly often; then the interrogation began. "What were you doing talking to a Slytherin," asked one. "Yeah what were you doing giving a Slytherin muffins," said the other. "Our rival house-" "-Our nemesis-" "-the arch villain," they said dramatically. "He isn't the villain, and he isn't my nemesis, plus it's Christmas, and even if it wasn't I would still talk to him and give him Muffins," I finished defiantly firm. George clasped his chest, "NO-" he cried out. Fred sobbed, crying,"-she'd give him her muffins!" I looked questioningly between the two, "You two are a pair of weirdos, " I told them, as if they didn't know. "We know," they chimed. Fred went grim, "But seriously Evan, be careful." I looked him in the eye for a second, analyzing. He was serious, very serious, Fred Weasley, serious. I nodded my head slowly, "Okay," I agreed softly, conveying that I understood.

I immediately switched to happy, "Muffin anyone," I asked my friends. I put the basket on the table, and took one for myself before they were swarmed. I'd take the twins' warning seriously, but it was Christmas and we should definitely have some fun.

 **Author's Note:**

More Christmas fun to come in the next chapter guys.


	9. Chapter 9

After our late breakfast, I pulled Fred and George outside into the snow, with Neville in tow. I ran ahead of them and then spun around to face them, grinning like a Cheshire, and fell backwards. This snow, unlike the snow in the Great Hall, was cold but still very soft and fluffy. I made a snow angel and as soon as I was done there was a hand in front of me, which I took. When I was back on my feet, thanks to an amused Fred, there was suddenly snow in my face. I shrieked, and heard uproarious laughter.

A fight will be had, REVENGE. I wiped off the snow from my face, and turning, I ran to a tree at the end of the court yard. "Evan," I heard, questioning me from afar. I hid behind the tree and quickly made some snow balls. When I heard someone approaching, I waited for the perfect time to strike. As soon as they were about to reach me I jumped out and threw the ball of snow. But instead of one of the twins I found a very surprised Neville with a snow covered face. The twins were laughing, and George was on the ground holding his stomach and crying.

This meant war; I grabbed Neville and yelled at the twins, "Prepare for battle!" A glorious battle ensued, with many a snow ball dealt, but the winners were George and Fred when they destroyed our base, but of course that wasn't enough for them. Fred tied Neville to our base tree with colorful joke rope and George picked me up princess style yelling, "I've captured the princess, this war is over! Surrender!"

All in all it was a very good day, and we had wasted hours outside. By the time we got back to our tower in the castle, we were half soaked and half frozen. I shed my jacket and hung it by the fire place. It was freezing, but we all promised to hang out later after we warmed up. I went up to my room and took a hot shower, and when I got out I put on a black undershirt, a big purple sweater, and some jeans. I was so much warmer now, and went down the stairs to the common room. No one was there, so I thought to go and get something yummy from the kitchen.

When I got there I thought of my friends and how they would probably be waiting back in the common room, so I asked one of the elves named Alps, with some exceptionally big ears, to pop 4 cups of hot cocoa there in 5 minutes. I asked for mint in mine, I love mint cocoa; it's crispy like winter air, but warms you up at the same time. I hurried back, and sat down in front of the fire to wait for someone to come down. I heard someone before I saw them, and turning around I found Harry. I hadn't even thought to get him something.

"Oh, Harry will you be sitting with us. I do mean the us that will be here eventually," I asked him curiously. I could just ask Alps for another mug of cocoa. He shook his head, and looked as if he wanted to run off somewhere. "So where are you headed, Harry," I asked him curiously. Harry feeling hesitant, asked cautiously, "Well, would you tell someone if I told you?" I thought about it for a second, and answered honestly, "Not if you don't want me to. If it helps, Steve likes to say I'm a good listener, and a pretty good talker when I try."

Harry now took a minute to think, and decided quickly that, whoever Steve was, he knew what he was talking about. He sat down next to me and leaned over to talk quietly, so no one would over hear I presumed. "Don't tell anyone, but I found a mirror. It's not a normal mirror, it doesn't just show your reflection," he told me quietly. "What does it show you then," I asked him, I was very curious now. There were so many odd things here. "I don't quite know... I could show it to you," he offered timidly. Wow, this boy has some secrets, but I guess there's a reason he's hiding it.

Alps the elf popped into the room just now, gently putting the tray of mugs on the coffee table and bowed, "Anything else the young miss requires," he asked me formally, yet kindly. "Stand up already, and Harry would you like some cocoa," I told the elf and asked the boy. Harry shook his head so I told Alps thank you, and dismissing him he popped out again. I went to grab a paper and quill from a nearby desk. I scribbled a note telling my friends I'd meet them at dinner, and left the note in the tray. I downed half of my cocoa, and told Harry, "Yep, show it to me, sounds fun," I was smiling and held out my hand to help him off the ground.

He took it and we left, "So what did you see in the mirror Harry," I asked him quietly. He took a minute for himself, and after a deep breath in and out he said in a whisper, "I saw my parents." It didn't take me long at all to realize that Harry must not have known his parents. I often forgot that other people actually had those. I wanted him to explain and share, but I felt I should share something first. All things considered, he seemed to use a lot of courage to say those few words. "I never knew my parents, I've never seen they're faces," I told him slow, and quiet, kind of like a slow trickling stream.

He turned to me, almost sharply, and just looked at me for a minute. I knew what he was doing, I catch myself doing it sometimes. When you looked at someone, but you don't just look, you see. Or at least you try to, Steve tells me he can't do it very often and get what he's looking for; I always do. I looked back patiently, waiting to see if he finds what he's looking for. It takes a few minutes, but he seems to find it, and nods his head slowly. We start walking down the corridor again.

"I grew up with my Aunt and Uncle, they don't like me much," he confessed solemnly, and he looked to me, waiting for an answer to his unspoken question. "I was adopted really young, and Mrs. Kelpie doesn't like me at all, but Mr. Kelpie, Steve," I clarified, "he likes me alright, it took awhile, but we're okay now," I told him and smiled a bit, he smiled a bit back.

A back and forth between us happened for awhile on our trip to the mirror. We talked about siblings, and how we grew up, and school, and things that just happened when we were younger. There were a lot of differences, but there was a lot that was the same. I never mentioned being a metamorphagus, I wasn't ready to tell him, or anyone; that secret would stay. He did tell me a lot about Voldemort, and the war that happened. Voldemort sounds like an evil version of one of those grumpy little men from the bank.

We got to a point where we put on a cape, an invisibility cape, eventually getting to a room with a very big mirror in it. Harry told me that Ron saw himself as a pompous, glory filled jerk. Then he told me he might be exaggerating a bit. "You should look into it," he urged me. What would I see? Did the mirror show your future or your past or maybe a dream or a nightmare. I wasn't completely sure, but I wanted to see regardless, the curiosity would kill me otherwise. So I stepped up to the mirror, I was looking at my feet, but I could tell I wasn't but a meter away. I was a little scared now, but I looked up anyways.

 **Author's Note:**

I actually tried for a cliffhanger-ish ending. I read a few Harry Potter fics, but there's almost no scenes including the mirror scene. I'm pretty sure this was from the first movie. If not I'll cry. By the way, don't be scared to drop a review if you're feeling it. They make me incredibly happy, if I had muffins I'd give them to you. And the next chapter will probably be part follow up on this one, and the rest, I have no clue. We'll all get to see it when I write it. Bye for now.


	10. Chapter 10

I was only a meter away from the mirror, and I was looking at my feet. I could tell Harry was anxiously waiting for me to look, but I was taking my time. I took a deep breath in and blew out slowly, and then I looked up. At first it was blurry and I couldn't make much out but it cleared and I could see myself sitting in the common room.

There were a lot of other people there, sitting on either side of me were the twins and across from me sat Draco and Neville. Hermione, Harry, Ron, everyone that I'd gotten to know here, including my favorite teachers and Steve. We were all sitting around talking happily, making jokes and laughing, smiling. And I was laughing, and my eyes and hair would shift every now and then.

The me in the mirror looked at the me standing here and waved, smiling, almost inviting me to join her.

I wanted that so badly. I didn't want to look away. I think at some point Harry came to stand next to me, but I don't remember him doing so. For a long while, we both just stood there, drinking in what we saw. At some point he asked me what I saw, and I told him, excluding the whole metamorphagus thing. We talked for a while, but I never looked away from the mirror. I think we both knew what the mirror showed, and I think Harry thought that the thing I wanted most was almost silly, but I've never had something like that. Except for today in the snow. That reminded me that we had to get to dinner.

We left begrudgingly, and went to the Great Hall. We were late and I was super grateful that Fred and George had made me a plate. We all talked and chatted and enjoyed our Christmas dinner. Everyone was finished before me, they wanted to wait for me, but I told them I'd meet them upstairs so they left. I was just finishing up when I spotted Draco sitting by himself at the Slytherin table. Everyone always sits at their house table, even when there isn't a formal event, I've noticed. There were a few others, teachers and students, but I didn't think it would matter. I went over and sat with him at the Slytherin table.

No one paid me any mind, they assumed I was just leaving, but when I passed the big double doors and kept walking a few people started to stair; curious I suppose. Draco was staring too, blank faced, but his eyes were open and curious. I came up right next to him, smiled, and sat down. I think everyone's eyes went a little wider just then. "Hows your Christmas been Draco," I asked him, one of the palms of my hand under my chin. It took him a minute to say something, but he got there, "Fine Evangeline," he told me bluntly, looking away from me. "Mine was fun, I've never done anything like it before," I told him, even though he didn't ask. I grabbed some corn bread and bit into it.

 **Draco**

That was confusing; all she did was stay at school. What could she have possibly done that was so great here. I felt compelled to ask now, and did so begrudgingly, "What did you do today?" She lit up and started her tale; she went on to tell me she actually got presents, and how she probably made some friends. Then she went on about how she'd played out in the snow, and how she lost, but how much fun it was even if she came in freezing. She laughed when she told me she threw a snow ball in Neville's face, accidentally of course. I caught myself laughing, and really tried not to.

I'm very lucky that I was the only Slytherin sitting at the table. If dad heard of this, he would not be happy. I have no clue if she's a pureblood or not, and if she is then she's a blood traitor; I don't know why I'm talking to her. But she's laughing and I can't seem to ignore her or leave or push her away while I have the chance to talk to her. She is very interesting, but if anyone knew I would be running into trouble. I can't talk to her after today, or ever. I'll be lucky if the fact she's sitting at Slytherin table isn't known by the whole school when everyone gets back.

"I really should go, I think I've left some people to wait for me up in the common room," she told me and stood up.

 **Evangeline**

I really should be going, even if it was really nice to talk with him. He didn't share much, but I think he was having some fun none the less. When I told him I should go, his face went back to being blank. That was worrisome, but I tried not to let it hurt, even though I didn't completely understand why he seemed to try to cut me out. "See ya," I said, trying for cheery, and I smiled. I don't think he was wholly convinced, but he remained blank faced and simply said bye.

On my way back to the Gryffindor tower, I felt even more lost on the subject of Draco Malfoy. Sometimes he was nice and we got along well, but then he'd ignore me completely. I shook my head, to clear it, and not just of thoughts; I could feel my eyes changing color and my hair felt prickly. My eyes had changed, I could feel that, but my hair hadn't. No one was in the hall so I didn't have to worry too much, but I had lost control. I caught myself, but I lost control; I can't do that, ever.

I took a calming breath and entered the common room; everyone was scattered about. Ron and Neville were playing wizards chess, Ron was beating Neville by a land slide. Fred and George were playing exploding snaps, and Harry was doing homework. Everyone said a small hello, and went back to doing their own thing. I joined the twins, Fred and I played against George, only so he could teach me how to play. Once I knew the rules, I dominated; it was really fun, and the twins ended up on a team against me, I still won though.

We stayed up for awhile, I switched to playing chess, talking to Harry, then back to exploding snaps again. I think I fell asleep at some point because I woke up the next morning in my own bed.

 **George**

Evan fell asleep while listening to me and Fred planning our next prank against Snape. We abandoned exploding snaps after the 15th game, and were sitting on the floor with a coffee table between me and Fred. The table was by the fire and Evan sat between the two. She fell asleep slumped against the table, breathing slowly. Ron and Neville had already abandoned us and gone to bed, Harry was still scribbling away at last minute homework. We were whispering now, Harry was across the room and wouldn't be able to hear us.

"So about what we saw," Fred said slowly. "I don't know exactly what it is," I said, knowing we both didn't, but we had a few ideas. "Yeah, maybe that's why she holds back all the time," he said. "And why when she talks about herself she leaves things out, " I added. "Her eyes change color," we both whispered.

When we were playing in the snow, and Fred and I had just won, I'd spun her around yelling non sense about princesses and winning. She was laughing uncontrollably, it was great, and while I spun her, her eyes were closed. As soon as I stopped she opened her eyes and they were light pink. Bubble gum pink. Neville was tied up at the moment, and wasn't paying attention, but Fred was. He saw and we looked at each other, deciding quickly not to say anything. We talked about it later, and decided if she was trying so hard to keep it a secret, what ever the secret was, then we wouldn't say anything until she wanted to tell us; for now at least.

She was asleep, and we weren't about to leave her down here, so we attempted to get her back to her room. That meant getting past the trick stairs, we just hoped that if one of us carried her up the stair, we could trick the trick stairs. I picked Evan up, holding her, she was slumped snugly against my shoulder, still breathing slowly. I took her to the stairs, and stepped onto the first one, waiting for it to slant, but it didn't so I took the next step, and it still didn't. It worked, and I walked all the way to the top after telling Fred I'd meet him back in our room. He was grinning ear to ear at discovering how to get past the stairs.

I got to the first year's room, and found her bed, I laid her in it, taking off her shoes and covering her with a blanket. She was so small, smaller than a first year. I've thought this more than once, I'd have to talk to Fred about this again, last time he just brushed it off, but we both knew it was odd. I noticed the side table had a pair of chaser gloves on it, I wonder if she'll be trying out next year. It also had a weird yellow flower on it, I touched a petal and it turned blue, odd. There was a journal, that I wasn't about to touch, and a box of chocolate frogs along with the bracelet Fred and I gave her. Everything looked new, and I assumed they must all be Christmas presents.

The chocolate frogs were from Harry, he had told us so, and the gloves were dragon skin, so not from her muggle guardians, and the flower was from Neville as Evan had told us like she had told us she got a journal from Hermione. She had gotten a dress from Steve, one of her guardians, but what about the other one. She didn't mention Steve's wife other than to say she was a dentist. She never did explain what that was. They must not get along, I assumed; have to tell Fred about that one too.

I closed the curtain on her bed and left. I sat at the top of the stairs and, sliding down, went back to my room and talked with Fred for awhile before we both crashed.

 **Author's Note:**

I threw in some of George's point of view for fun. There was a lot of POV bouncing around actually. I have more idea's for what I can do with this story. Only a few. So we'll see how it goes.


	11. Chapter 11

It wasn't long until the break was over and all the students came back. It also wasn't long until Harry, Ron, and Hermione got detention. They got caught out of bed by Draco, but seeing as Draco was out of bed as well, he got detention with them. I'm not really sure what they were doing, but I know they went to Hagrid's hut.

I found this all out the day after they got caught from Hermione. We were talking quietly in the library. She kept hiding something from me though. She wouldn't tell me why they went down to see Hagrid or what happened when they got there. She did tell me that they would be spending that very night in the forbidden forest as their detention, with Hagrid to watch over them.

After she left to go help Ron with his exam studies, I decided to go drag out some answers from Hagrid. I took my time walking down the stone steps to his hut; the air outside was cold and crisp, and the sun was up, not a cloud in the sky. Maybe I'd get lucky and Hagrid could fill in all the blanks.

I knocked on his door, but there was no response. Okay so, not home. I walked around to the back side of the house and found fang, sitting looking into the woods. Maybe that's where Hagrid went off to. After looking around for any peeping eyes, and in seeing none, I strolled into the forest. It's been awhile since I came in here, it had been much too cold recently to even think to leave the castle.

The wind was lazy, and the sun stubbornly holding back its warmth, but the forest didn't seem to mind. The tree's allowed the wind to take the lead, and the animals took no heed of the sun's greed. Everything here was calm and relaxing, until some noises broke through the bubble I had accidentally built.

It sounded like a squawking noise, but it wasn't a bird, and there was some leaves rustling. It came from my left, behind some bushes. I didn't really think twice before going around the bush to see what was on the other side. What I saw there was something I'd never seen before; it was the size of big puppy, but looked like a bird with no feathers. The first thought that came to mind was dragons, but was that real, here in the wizarding world? I didn't know, but they did seem to have every other magical creature, so why not.

But what was a baby dragon doing in the forest. It saw me standing there and looked at me curiously. I crouched down and stuck out my hand, like I would if greeting a dog. I also looked away, there were a lot of animal that saw eye contact as a challenge, but for a baby, it might just make him nervous. After a minute, I felt cool skin against the back of my hand, and looking over I found the small dragon with it's head on my hand. I stroked his soft leather skin, and he made a sound not too unlike a yipping, purr.

I heard a sound coming closer, big foot steps, and an unhappy, panicked voice. "Norbert? Norbert?!" the voice said. The dragon, Norbert apparently, looked like he wanted to run, but instead, settled for climbing up my back, using it's little fingers on the end of it's wings, and hiding it's face in my hair. Looking around I found a sweating Hagrid come from around a bush. He looked startled at the sight of me, "Evan, what r' you doin' 'ere," he asked me.

"Oh, well I was actually looking for you Hagrid, but I seemed to have gotten a little side tracked," I told him, thinking that maybe I should mention the dragon on my back. "What were ya needing," he asked me, while trying to casually look around; probably looking for the dragon on my back. I got straight to the point, "I want to know what Harry, Ron, and Hermione needed to talk to you about so badly that they had to sneak out of bed for it," I asked him. He immediately took a step back, "No, no, no, that would not be somethin' for you ta be worryin' over, not somethin' to be talked about," he told me.

But a thought came to mind, it wouldn't be very nice, but Fred and George's pranks are way more mean. "I could tell you where your dragon is," I said sweetly, trying not to grin like a Cheshire. "You know where Norbert is," he exclaimed, then he started to mumble to himself, "Ey, now she's seen him, should've never let him outta me sights..."

"He's a very sweet dragon, not like I've met a lot of them, but he seemed nice enough," I said, trying to get him out of his own head, it seemed to work. His head jerked up, "Right, where is 'e then," he asked, and normally I'd just tell him, but unfortunately for him, not today. "I'll tell you, if you tell me what was going on last night," I told him firmly. He looked disapproving, but I just smiled nicely at him, it might not work, he might not tell me a thing, but at least I tried, right?

"You 'ave no idea what yere asking about, Evan," he said to me. "Exactly, why I'm asking, Hagrid," I replied easily. "They were askin' about somethin' dangerous, somethin' bein' protected in the castle, and you best make sure those friends o' yers don't go looking for it, they'll only find trouble, and that's all I'm saying, Evan," he told me solemnly. "That's all I needed to know, Hagrid, thank you. And Norbert is right here," I said happily, spinning around to show him the dragon on my back. He sighed heavily, "Why ya rascal, you are too smart ye' are." I turned my head to flash him a big smile, while he got Norbert off my back.

"Soooo, where did you get the dragon," I asked, as we started to walk through the forest. He went on to tell me about this stranger who wanted to be rid of him, and how he had to send Norbert to Romania because he didn't belong here. He also begrudgingly mentioned he was caught with it by Draco. Which led me to ask about the detention, and what they'd be doing in the forest. He told me that there was a wounded unicorn that needed to be found; he'd fix it up or put it down, depending on the injury. That was so sad, but it was understandable, there was only so much he could do if it was too hurt.

At some point Hagrid mentioned he was meeting Charlie Weasley here in the forest. Charlie was in fact Ron's older brother, and worked with dragons in Romania, he was a friend of Hagrids as well. Soon we came to a clearing, and there were 5 people standing there with brooms, one with a red mop of hair, definitely Charlie then. I met him, he was very nice, and he helped get Norbert in a crate that was behind them. The other four people were friends of Charlie who he worked with, they'd take Norbert to Romania and make sure he had lots of dragon friends.

They left and a crying Hagrid and me walked back to his hut. I held his big hand in my little one all the way there. I didn't feel like much help, but it was better than leaving him alone, to cry by himself. We went to his hut, and I sat with him all day. We talked about dragons, and unicorns, and other mythical creatures. We drank tea and baked and then ate some cookies, and then we talked about all my classes and he told me about his family, and how his mom was a giant and his dad was human. We talked about everything and anything, until it was dark. He told me he had to go do the detention with the kids and I offered to go, but he said I should get back to my room. I said he should just give me detention so I could stay. He laughed, but I was serious, I didn't want to leave yet; he insisted that I get off to bed. We both settled for me walking him to the edge of the forest. I'd wait here with him till everyone got there.

Filch came walking up with Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Harry; none of them looked very happy. Filch immediately left and walked, grumbling to himself, back to the castle. "Well, guess I should be going then, I hope you find the unicorn Hagrid," I told Hagrid, he thanked me. Everyone else was looking at me curiously, but I wasn't going to tell them why or what I was doing there; that was Hagrid's business. "See you in class tomorrow guys," I told them, then added looking at Harry and Draco, "Be nice." They got so mean to each other sometimes. Without waiting for a reply or a possible question I left, and walked up to the castle.

As soon as I got through the portrait hole, I found out I was seriously tired. I went straight up to the room that I shared with 3 other girls, who weren't there, luckily for me, and I threw on some pj's. And in falling into bed, and forgetting the world, I fell asleep.

 **Author's note:**

There's probably only going to be a few more chapters until the end of the first school year. I'm contemplating on whether or not I'll jump ahead a few years or not. I think I will, but if you prefer it one way or the other, let me know. That is all, I'm going to eat some Cheesecake and sleep now. Bye, bye.


	12. Chapter 12

The next day, I thought to talk to my three friends who always seemed to be getting into trouble. I was running through the court yard when I found them. They were through a window arch, the school halls, talking to Professor Snape. I stepped out of sight, but listened in, "Someone might think you're... up to something.." Snape said. I heard him walk away after a pause, and I was about to come out of hiding when the three of them started talking," So what are we going to do Harry," someone asked, "We go through the trap door, tonight," another replied.

No, no, no, what were they getting into. Trap doors, dangerous stuff, hiding behind teachers backs, sneaking out again, and I'm sure there were other things to add to the list. I had to stop them, hopefully without snitching on them to a teacher. I didn't want them to get hurt. By the time I stopped thinking to myself, they were gone. I found a bench in the court yard, and sat there wondering what to do. I was starting to feel hopeless, a bit sad, and very anxious. I had to take a lot of calming breaths to keep calm.

I was staring at a flower at my feet. It was the size of my palm, which was pretty small, and white with a yellow line down the middle of each pedal, and the leaves were slender and long. It looked a bit like a Lily, and it was beautiful. "It's called an Asphodel," a voice said, I jumped a bit and looked up. "Sorry did I scare you," a bashful looking Neville was standing in front of me, holding some books. "You caught me in my own head," I said smiling at him, " So you know about flowers," I asked.

"Well a few of them, like the Asphodel for instance, it's roots are ground into powder and used in making the Draught of Living Death and the Wiggenweld potion. It's related to the Lily and it not native to anywhere, it grows world wide, we keep a small garden of it in the green house, but it also grows wild on the school grounds. And in Greek mythology it's said to grow in the fields of Elysian in the Underworld, it's sacred to the goddess Persephone. It's said to be the favorite food of the dead, and that's why it's commonly planted near graves," he finished, and seemed to finally take a breath; he looked really excited, his eyes were sparkling and everything.

"You like plants, I see," I calmly stated. "Well, I mean, well, yeah..." he said, and sat down. We were both sitting and just enjoying the others company. The sun was out and bright with a few clouds, and the wind was keeping a gentle pace. It was a perfect day. If it weren't for the fact that I knew my friends were up to something. I could trust Neville. I knew that for certain. "Could I maybe talk to you about something," I asked him tentatively. "Of course Evan, anything at all, " he told me, he seemed really happy to have a friend confide in him. I know a lot of people think Neville is weak or something, but he was 11, who was strong at 11. What he was was loyal, and trustworthy, and a really good friend.

I lowered my voice to a whisper, "I believe Harry, Ron, and Hermione are going to sneak out again tonight. I'm not sure what they are going to do, but what ever it is, it's dangerous," I said, Neville's eyes were wide and he looked ready to say something but I cut him of, "I know they must have a good reason for it, otherwise Hermione would never go with them, but I don't want them to get hurt or in more trouble," I finished, I had to really hold back my worry, otherwise things would happen with my hair that I didn't want to explain.

"I'm going to try to talk to them, but I'm not sure they'll listen, I'm worried," I said, probably not looking worried. I couldn't allow myself to feel worried unless I wanted an incident. "Actually, I think that's what I'm going to do right now, thank you for listening Neville," I told him while standing up. Before he could say anything, I was already running to find them, I waved goodbye without looking behind me.

I'd check the common room first, and when I got there I asked around for them, but they weren't there, so I checked the next likely place, the library. The boys didn't particularly like it in there, but Hermione did, maybe I could catch her there. Thing is, the library is pretty big, with rows and rows to search, and of course all the tables, and I'd have to check the dark side of the library, where no one usually went; it was creepy back there. I started my search, I found plenty of books, and a few random students here and there I even ran into a familiar face at the tables. "Hi Draco," I said smiling sweetly, maybe he'd actually talk to me today. I never could tell with him, especially since most of the time he avoided me.

He was sitting at a table, with 3 other people. I couldn't remember what their names were, but there were 2 round boys and a girl who reminded me of a pug, I liked pugs, but she looked rather mean. I think I remember from the train, Draco was sitting with them.

Draco seemed to try to ignore me again, but before I could even decide on whether to say something or just leave, the mean looking pug girl spoke up, "Drakey, I think there's a piece of trash hovering around us," she said offhandedly without looking up from what ever she was doing. I was surprised to say the least, she was more than rude, and I was so stunned and bewildered I just kind of stood there with my mouth slightly open.

Both of the round boys looked up at this and one said, "Oy isn't that the one girl we heard about, " and the other said, "Oh yeah, the adopted girl I think," he said while pulling something out of his pocket and stuffing it in his face.

 **Draco**

I just wanted her to leave, I'd have to say something rude to her if she didn't leave, but even with Crabbe and Goyle's poke at her parentage, she only seemed confused. Then Pansy laughed her ugly high pitched snorting combo and spoke up again, "Adopted?! Isn't that just pathetic, Drakey, her parents didn't even like her." I didn't want to look up, but now I had to say something, "Yeah Pansy, pathetic," I said as snidely as I could. Everything was quite for a moment, so I looked up.

I shouldn't have looked up.

She was looking down when I saw her, it wasn't hard to tell that what I said hurt, but then she suddenly looked up. And she was smiling, but it was anything but happy, it was sad, like she was trying not to cry. Then she spoke, "See you around Draco," she said quietly, and then she turned and walked off. Damn, I never felt bad for getting someone to bugger off, but she was so upset, so different from the rest. I really wanted to wipe the snide, happy look from Pansy's face. But it was better this way, wasn't it. If she didn't have anything to do with me.

 **Evangeline**

I understood now. Why would he want to be around someone like me, the freak, of course he didn't know what I was, but it felt like he knew anyway, and decided to steer clear. I knew he was mean, he was never mean to me, until now, but he was always mean to others. I should have listened to Fred and George, of course I should have listened to them. But I didn't.

I made my way to the dark, creepy side of the library. I had to cool off my emotions, couldn't have myself losing control. When I got there I took a few deep breaths and heard a page turning, someone was back here. I looked around and found Hermione going through a book at one of the tables with a small light. I took one last breath and sat down next to her.

She looked up, and jumped a little, like she thought she imagined the sound of someone sitting down, and she hadn't actually expected anyone to be really sitting there. She sighed and said, "Evan, you scared me, what are you doing sneaking up on me," she said quietly, even though there wasn't a soul around she still followed the library rules. "I needn't to talk to you, I've been looking every where for you," I told her easily, and as quietly as her. She tilted her head a bit, waiting for me to continue so I did, "I wanted to see if I could talk you, Harry, and Ron out of sneaking out tonight." Her eyes went wide, "How do you know-" I cut her off, "I don't know all the details, but I know it's dangerous, you guys could get really hurt, won't you reconsider," I asked her pleadingly.

She took a moment to think, but I didn't have to wait very long before she replied, "It is very important that we go, Evan, bad things, really bad things could happen if we don't stop it from happening," she told me slowly, trying not to let any information slip. "I really can't change your mind can I... but what if something happens to you," I said, my worry starting to slip. "Nothing will happen. And if it does we will handle it," she told me easily, yet sternly, only like Hermione could. But I wasn't convinced, and my emotions were starting to slip. Hermione being stubborn, plus the way Draco just treated me, both were breaking me down.

I got up and ran.

 **Author's Note:**

Okay guys, it's probably just going to be one more chapters for this first year. If you have any thoughts, share. Other wise, that's all. Hope you liked the chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

I was running, I wasn't sure where, I didn't have a place in mind. I just needed to be far far away from everyone. I could already feel my hair start to move, taking on a different shape and very likely another color; I could expect the same from my eyes. I threw the hood of my robe onto my head, hiding most of the hair on my head, and I kept my hands on the hood so it wouldn't shift. I tried to look where I was going, honest, but I kept looking down so anyone who passed couldn't see my eyes.

I started running faster, I really shouldn't have, but I did. I thought of the forest and started making my way there. I was running in the halls, close to an exit when I ran head first into something, more like a someone. I would know after running into the twin more than once; this wasn't the twins. Who ever it was was wearing black, and I would have looked up to see who it was, if it wasn't for the fact that I could feel my eyes changing, it was like soft electricity, static; if that makes any sense at all. I made a move to walk past whoever I bumped into after saying a quick 'sorry' but a hand shot out and took my wrist. I had to let go of my hood, my hair wasn't changing anymore and out of the corner of my eye I could see it was long, black, and wavy.

I didn't dare look up, my eye color wasn't going to be normal, and it wasn't staying one color for very long. "What do you think you are doing running through the halls," an annoyed voice drawled. Great, I ran into a professor, not a student. I was holding back tears and tried to answer him, "Sorry Professor, I'm in a hurry," I said, my voice still steady for now, but I was really losing the last crumbled bits of my control. "It is unacceptable for a student to be running through the halls, and even more so for a student to not look at their teacher when they are speaking," his voice was very annoyed, he didn't sound happy. I had to keep my cool, act like I was another student or something.

I took some breaths, I just needed my eyes to stay the same color. Just stay the same, I thought repeatedly. I looked up to find Professor Snape, with a scowl of disapproval on his face. He was about to say something when a flicker of something went across his face.

Recognition.

I felt the fear and the electricity. My eyes changed colors.

His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, then the look on his face changed to something else I couldn't recognize. I was crying now, one hand covering my eyes, and the other in Snape's grasp. My hair started to shift again and I struggled to get my hood on again while I cried even harder. I was panicking, if someone saw, everyone would know. I'd be the freak, and the few friends I gained would do the same thing that Draco did 10 minutes ago.

A hand reached out and pulled the hood of my robe over my head, I grasped the edge of it close, it couldn't fall off again, I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle this, and I was still crying. A lot. I was looking at the ground again. The same hand that helped me with my hood, grabbed my free wrist and started to walk, quickly, down the hall opposite of my exit to the woods. I couldn't stop crying, and it was hard to breath, it was hard to keep up with him, and I tripped every so often. He didn't stop walking, and it was awhile before we got to where ever he was taking me.

We walked into a room, it had white tiled floors, and smelt a little funny. Kind of like a herb shop and a hospital rolled into one. Professor Snape walked me over to a bed, sat me down, and walked to greet a round lady, who was approaching him. They were too far away for me to hear anything but mumbling, then again I was still crying, and not paying very good attention.

The round lady walked away for a second, then came back and handed me something telling me to drink it. I did, reluctantly, and between cry's and hiccups. I started to feel sleepy, my eyelids got heavy, and I started to slump forward, someone caught me and then I was asleep.

 **Madame Pompfrey**

I was restocking some of my remedies when a frowning Severus Snape came into the room, towing a very odd child behind him. The small thing had it's hood over it's head, one hand clutching it. Snape sat it down on one of the beds and I went to meet him.

"She's having a melt down, give her something to calm her," he said calmly even though he was still frowning. It was a girl then, "And who might she be," I asked inquisitively. He gave me a look as to suggest I was either stupid or had no eyes, he looked at the girl, who I could now see was crying hysterically, and he seemed to realize I couldn't see her face. "Evangeline Prince," he told me shortly. Well this would be interesting. Some of the staff, at least the ones Evangeline had to interact with regularly, knew who she was. We'd all been told about her, except for Severus; Dumbledore was an odd man with weird requests. Many would think that telling Snape his daughter was coming to this school would be at the top of his list. Apparently it was on the bottom of it.

Poor Severus didn't find out until she was sorted that she was here, and found out she was a metamorphagus after the feast. We weren't told she was his daughter in the teacher meeting. It was implied as soon as the Headmaster told us her name. She was a Prince, of course she was his daughter, she couldn't be anything else. No one knew for certain who the mother was, or any of the details, and no one dared ask him.

I got the girl something to knock her out for a couple of hours, and bent down to coax her to drink it. She had tears streaking her cheeks, and her eyes where jumping from dark purple to dark gray and back again. Her hair was black and wavy, the waves would turn to curls then back to waves. When she drunk what I gave her she stared bleary eyed for a moment. Her eyes settled from gray to dark blue, her hair stopped moving and she slumped forward. I caught her the same moment Severus jumped forward, and I acted like I didn't notice to spare him any unwanted attention.

I laid the girl down on the bed properly, her hood fell back and both Severus and I saw her black hair lighten until it was back to it's light blonde color, the waves straightening out. He told me he'd wait here for her to wake up, and sat down next to her, pulling a book out of his robes. I left, and gave him some privacy.

 **Evangeline**

I woke up, and wasn't sure where I was, but I didn't feel worried. I found Professor Snape next to me, and I refused to start panicking again. He knew and now I'd have to deal with the consequences; I just hoped he wouldn't treat me like Mrs. Kelpie does. I sat up and fixed the skirt of my uniform and started talking, he knew I was awake now, but he was reading something, "No one was supposed to find out," I told him quietly. "Find out what Ms. Prince," he stated blandly. "That I can change my hair and eyes," I said meekly. "That you are a very rare wizard called a Metaphorphagus, Evangeline, and most of the staff knows," he corrected me, then told me easily that people already knew.

I was shocked, I couldn't speak, and he looked up, almost amused. "What is it, Evangeline," he asked. "They know," I said, my voice cracking, I was about to start crying again. "They know what," he asked me, less amused now I think, but it was hard to tell if he was amused in the first place. "That I'm a freak," I said this calmly, but I could feel the tears slip down my face. Professor Snape looked up from his book at this, but I wasn't looking at him, I was looking past him, at nothing but my hopelessness.

"Evangeline Ann Prince," he said sternly, getting my attention immediately. My head snapped to look at him, his face looked firm, and his voice matched. "Have your teachers been treating you like a freak," he asked me, already knowing the answer, but asking anyway. I shook my head, no, no they hadn't. "You aren't a freak, you, you are special, a very unique person, there isn't anything freaky about you," he told me firmly. I shook my head, yes this time, and tried to soak up and understand what he was saying. He stood up, "I will see you in class Ms. Prince," he said softly, and after telling the school nurse I was awake, he left.

The nurse came over and introduced herself, told me I was healthy, and not to worry about being a metamorphagus; that it was an honor. She told me I should get back to my dorm before curfew. That's when I remembered that three of my friend were going to put themselves in danger tonight. I left slowly, and as soon as I was out the door, I ran. I met no one on my way, and when I got to the common room I heard foot steps coming down the stairs, I hid behind a curtain.

I heard the three of them talking then Neville came out of no where to try and stop them from leaving, but Hermione petrified him! I was going to have to talk to that girl about this. The three of them left quickly, and I followed behind, keeping out of sight. They went into a room, and left the door cracked. There was a huge three headed dog snoring and drooling in there, he was kind of cute, and a harp was playing. There was a trap door, that they all jumped into it, but before the last of them got in the harp stopped playing and the dog woke up; he wasn't very cute any more. They all got into the trap door, and since I couldn't follow them anymore I shut the door.

What was I suppose to do now. I'd have to go get a teacher or someone. I'd go get the headmaster, I thought, and took off to the gargoyle that guarded his tower. The stupid gargoyle wouldn't open up, even though this really was an emergency, but it slid open after a few minutes and the headmaster came down the stairs. "I do believe you are here because three of your friends have run off," he asked me. I shook my head quickly in confirmation. "Run along and tell Madame Pomfrey to un-petrify Mr. Longbottom and be ready for three more patients, I will go get your friends," he told me and left. I ran to Madame Pomfrey's office and told her. She collected Neville and came back to the healing ward. Soon after that, the headmaster came in levitating Ron and Harry with Hermione following behind.

All three looked pretty beat up, but none of them were hurt too badly. Hermione stayed there over night just so she could be checked over, and I was sent back to my room. The next week would be the last of school year, and we'd be going home soon. The first few day of that week I spent my time taking exams and checking on my friends in the healing ward. They told me all about there adventure and how they'd stopped Voldemort. It was all very exciting, and scary, but it sounded also like they should be getting into a lot of trouble. They must have broken a lot of rules, but I don't think they will be punished actually. Dumbledore is way too smart to punish them.

The last week before the final feast I spent with my friends when we weren't taking final exams. I played a few tricks on students with Fred and George, it was a lot of fun because I got to use the bracelet they gave me. I went flying with Oliver, I almost beat him, I think he lets me so I keep pushing myself. Neville showed me around the green house and taught me some new stuff about plants. I also got to meet a unicorn family that just had a baby. Hagrid said they had been trying for awhile, but while the thing, Voldemort apparently, in the forest was lurking around they couldn't conceive; they were too stressed. I also spent some time in the forest or by the lake by myself. Professor Snape told me I wasn't a freak. I wasn't sure I believed him, not because he was lying, but because he could be wrong. And if I wasn't a freak... could I tell people, and they wouldn't hate me? I wasn't sure, and I wasn't sure I was willing to risk it.

The final feast came around and I sat between the twins like I usually do. Turns out Gryffindor won the house cup, which did and didn't seem fair. Harry, Ron, and Hermione did save us from the return of a very dark wizard, but that has nothing to do with our house competition. It wasn't fair to Slytherin who probably worked really hard to win this year. My thoughts drifted to Draco while everyone ate, and I had to think about something else before I did something I wasn't sure I wanted. But I looked across the hall and caught Draco looking at me. Which only made me sad, like really sad. Why would he even look at me; he isn't allowed to look sad when he's the one who said those things to me.

I was stuck in my own head when the kid sitting across from me, Lee, spoke up, "Wow, how do you do that with your hair," he said in awe. I froze, but I felt the twins look at each other then at me. I touched my hair and brought it in front of my face. It was still blonde, but it was curly. I swallowed, I thought I might faint for a second before I remembered what Snape said. I wasn't a freak. I wasn't a freak. I wasn't a freak. I looked over to the teacher's table, and found Professor Snape staring at me calmly. He wasn't scowling, or frowning, he almost looked like he might smile. Almost.

I looked at the twins, and they were smiling encouragingly down at me. So I turned back to Lee and told him, "It's just a thing I can do." I remembered how Professor Snape corrected me and did so myself, "I'm a metamorphagus." He looked stunned for a minute but then got really excited, "So like, you can change your appearance, right? Like your hair and eye color and even you facial features, right," he asked quickly, even though he seemed to already know the answer to his questions. The twins stopped him, "Hold on mate," George said, "You might break her ears," Fred finished. "Oh, right," Lee said blushing openly, "I just got a bit excited, you know, not every one gets to meet a metamorphagus. They're super rare, mind showing me," he asked.

It was a lot to take in, but he wasn't upset, and he didn't seem to hate me. And the twins were acting like they just heard something they already knew. I looked to them for an answer to whether or not I should show them something; they shook their heads yes excitedly. So I changed my hair, without blinking, it went from blonde to short, purple, and curly, and then I changed my eyes to pale green. Lee and the twins looked awe struck and some of the students around us started chatting and smiling and talking about my hair.

Turns out I'm not a freak to the people here. Apparently what I can do is 'cooler than dragons breath' as Lee put it. And after the feast I stayed up in the common room with my friends to explain everything. They understood, and weren't mad that I kept a secret from them.

The next day, we all took the train back to London. I said good bye, cried a bit, and Steve took me back to the house. On the trip there I told him about how I wasn't a freak, and how I made friends. He seemed really happy for me. I left out the whole evil wizards battle that happened. But I did tell him I might try out for a sports team there. I left out the flying thing, I'll tell him next year, after I go back to school. I wonder how this summer will be without everyone around because I already miss them. At the moment I was more worried about how Mrs. Kelpie was going to act with me around this summer. Steve said she wasn't in a very good mood. I knew it was because I was coming back, even if he wouldn't say it. I already couldn't wait to go back to school.

 **Author's Note:**

Okay guys, this chapter was pretty long. I just had to finish up the school year though! I'm pretty sure I'm going to skip ahead a couple of years, probably start the next part of this fic in the goblet of fire year, so 4th year? Maybe? Think so. That's it, if you have any thoughts share!


	14. Chapter 14

I got a call this morning from Hermione. We've been talking all summer about anything and everything. Except for the whole deal about Harry's godfather being a wrongly convicted criminal on the run.

Last year was a blast, except for the Dementors that really messed up Harry, more than once, may I add. I can't help but to think that it's not a coincidence that the Dementors sought him out repeatedly, but the thing is that the Dementors are controlled by the ministry, what would they have against Harry? They boy who lived, the boy who inadvertently vanquished the Dark Lord as a baby and survived. I'm sure I'm over thinking it.

Hermione told me about her staying the summer with the Weasley's, and I was invited too. It's half way through the summer, and I've yet to convince Steve and Beth. More like, Steve wanted me to go have fun, and Beth wanted me to not get into trouble with my school friends 'who knows what you would get up to with your silly little friends, I won't hear another word of it' she had told me more than once with a scowl on her face and fire in her eyes. I wasn't scared of her anymore, not like I used to be, and I've given up on trying to get her to like me. I don't need her approval of me, my friends actually like me as I am. She doesn't, she never will, and I'm not going to spend my efforts on the chance that she might one day accept me.

It took me awhile to figure that one out.

In Hermione's latest letters she tells me about the Quidditch World Cup that's going to happen in a few weeks and that I should try to make it down soon so I don't miss it.

I decide then that Steve's approval of me going is all I need. I write a letter back to Hermione telling her I'll be arriving later today and send it back with the Weasley's Owl. I write another short letter to Steve saying I'm going over to the Weasley's home and I'll also be going back to school with them. I pack my school clothes and things into my trunk and check the time. It's 9 a.m. and that means that Beth has left for work, taking Ollie with her to day care, and Steve would be right behind her.

I waited a few minutes before going downstairs and into the living room. Beth's car and Steve's truck were gone. So I went to the kitchen and baked some chocolate chip cookies - some without the chocolate chips - and stowed them safely in my bag. I had baked a lot of them, and checking the clock again, it was almost 11 o'clock.

I rushed upstairs, took a quick shower, and got dressed and ready. I put on some gray leggings and black shorts, an undershirt, and a lacy, hot pink tank top and a black crop top jacket. I threw on my beat up black combat boots, stowing my wand there, and ran out the door, trunk and bag in hand.

I was planning on walking the 4 or 5 blocks down the road to the bus stop. But I wasn't sure what I'd do exactly after that, I could probably find a Floo system somewhere in the city, but it wasn't easy to find wizarding stuff unless you knew where to look. That's when I remembered what Harry had told me last year. When he left the house, after literally blowing up his aunt like a balloon, the Knight Bus picked him up. Mr. Weasley told Harry that you can put your wand hand up, like you were hailing a taxi, and the bus would come and pick you up.

So that's what I did, and after a minute or two, the huge, bulking thing sped to a stop right in front of me; the thing was huge and red. A triple decker bus, with a swaying chandelier inside. A man stepped out and introduced himself, "Hello I'm Stan, and this is the Knight Bus. We pick up the stranded witch or wizard. Can I help you with your baggage?" he asked. He felt kind of standoffish, but more slightly odd and crazy in the head. But a funny, creepy crazy, not the 'I think about killing gold fish' crazy.

I smiled and thanked him as he loaded my trunk onto the bus. We got on and he asked me where I'm headed.

"Just the nearest public Floo system please."

He told me to hold on tight then shouted an address to 'Ernie' the driver, and told him to 'take it away.'

Let me tell you. That bus was an awful lot of fun. A little scary, but a lot of fun.

We stopped after just under a minute of driving outside of a hotel. Stan told me to just go in and talk to the receptionist. She'd ask what she can do for me, like she asked everyone, and I'd ask if they had a room with a working fireplace. She'd say they did, and ask what kind I had in mind. I'd say a magical one, and she'd take me to the back door that led to the wizarding half of the Inn.

It seems like a conversation that would give you away, but apparently muggles are daft and naive. I'm sure I'd think it completely normal if I had heard it before I knew about my being a witch.

She took me through the backdoor and on the other side it looked a bit like the Leaky Cauldron. There were tables set up, and a bar, and a couple of Floo fireplaces to the side. There were a few people here or there, and the receptionist left me to my own devices.

I went over to the fireplace, luggage in hand, and stood in it. I called out the Weasley's address, and tossed the powder; the floor was gone and I was flying in a bright, warm tunnel quickly. Then all so suddenly I was on my feet again. It took only a moment to balance myself and then I tried looking around.

But before I could get the chance, there were hands on me, pulling me out into the living room.

"Evan!" two voices said at once. I was in ones arms, being hugged, and then snatched away into the others for another hug. Then they seemed to play tug of war with me. Like they were fighting over a toy, and I was the toy, mostly the rag doll.

"Guys.. GUYS," I said laughing all the while. They sat me down, grinning, not at all apologetic, "We thought you'd never get here," Fred told me. "Yeah, we were ready to go on a mission to kidnap you," said George easily. "Awww, guys. That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," I said smiling sweetly, trying not to grin like a Cheshire.

They told me that everyone had gone out grocery shopping, and when my letter showed up, even though it was addressed to Hermione, they had to open it; 'it was from Evan, so what else could they do.'

They put my thing in Ginny's room and showed me around the house since I've never been there before, and afterwards we went outside with our brooms.

When the three of us got outside, the twins wanted to make a bet. If they could beat me then I had to bake them something yummy. I looked up to them curiously, "And if I win?" I asked them innocently. They seemed to think about this for a minute, as if they never considered me winning; how very cocky of them. If that's how they wanted it to be then I'd match them step for step.

"If I win you owe me two favors," I told them, they looked curious so I explained, "Well it's two against one, so you have a better chance of winning. It's only fair that if I beat both of you that I get two favors. I've named my price, are you going to back out now," I asked them calmly, looking up at them with big curious eyes, and a small easy smile tugging at my lips.

"You are so on," they said.

We'd fly out a couple miles across the field, line up, and race back to the designated finish point just before their house.

We were lined up and chatting before we started when George spoke up, "You know, we could take it easy on you," he said arrogantly.

I was balancing on my broom, we were about to start the race, so I was fixing my hair. I shortened it to about shoulder length, then tied it back with a hair tie; it wouldn't hit me in the face this way. I had my gloves on, the ones Oliver gave me my first Christmas at Hogwarts.

"You guys should really know better by now," I told them smiling happily, this would be fun. They looked at me questioningly.

"Oh, you know," I said, like maybe they did know, and would catch on, but probably not since they still looked confused.

"That I'm full of surprises," I said flashing my eyes quickly from green to yellow to purple and black, then back to blue, and grinning.

I laughed loudly and took a tight grip on my broom, "Ready!" I said loudly in warning. The twins were looking at me wide eyed.

"SET," I yelled, getting into position.

"GO," I said quickly.

We all sped forward, I kept a relatively normal speed, and I was right behind the twins for a few seconds, just smiling; 'if this was the best they had then I wonder..' I thought to myself.

I slipped ahead, letting go of my control and yet gaining some at the same time.

This.

This is what real freedom feels like.

I squealed happily, doing some tight corkscrew spins. I didn't even look behind me, but the house was fast approaching and I did two quick circles around it, laughing happily, and stopping over the finish line we had set up.

I had bought myself a broom during our third year since I had gotten on the team; it wasn't sleek or new looking. I'd bought it from an independent brooms craftsman. It was fast, but had a lot of control and balance. If the flyer didn't have the same control, they'd fall off; it was that simple. I haven't gotten to use it in any of the games, I've had to practice on it with Oliver for the rest of 3rd year. He said it would be worth it, and it was, I could go fast. Really fast. I could probably beat Harry in a race, and I was going to test that theory. But I didn't want to be a seeker; flying fast was only for my enjoyment, to relax, and apparently to beat the twin's butts in a race.

When I landed people were running out of the house, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, with Mr. Weasley right behind them. They were yelling about 'what in the world was that!' and 'how fast were you going' and 'didn't you feel the wind in the house? That's how fast ya dumby!'

George and Fred landed next to me soon after, just staring wide eyed, wanting to ask, but apparently I 'stole the air and wind' as Mr. Weasley put it.

"I win," I sing-songed to them after greeting everyone properly. But I gave them some of the cookies I'd baked anyway; non-chocolate chips for Fred. He says chocolate-chips come from the muggle hell, and he'd rather burn in the muggle hell than eat those evil pieces of dragon dung. His words, not mine!

I wonder if the Quidditch World Cup will be this much fun.

 **Author's Note:**

Sorry, it's been a bit longer than when I'd usually upload a chapter. I've started doing some beta jobs recently, so expect a chapter or so a week for now. I know this chapter is kind of slow, but as we all should know by now, shit goes down at the World cup. So if you're looking for exciting, look for it there. Plus I was feeling the slowness, I just wanted to write a happy chapter, so there it is.


	15. Chapter 15

"Evan? Do you have everything you need darling," Mrs. Weasley asked me.

"Yes Mrs. Weasley, I have everything."

She was such a nice lady, and she actually cared; I've never seen anything like it. Are all mom's like this?

"Oh stop it, call me Molly, dear," she very nicely reprimanded me.

Was that another thing mom's did? Correct you nicely? In a way that made you smile?

The Weasley family - minus one Molly Weasley - Hermione, Harry, and I were all packed and ready to go to the Quidditch World Cup. I'd only brought a small backpack with a pair of pajamas and a small bag with some money in it. I was wearing gray skinny jeans, a dark purple tank, my combat boots, and a black knitted sweater. Once I put on my backpack and put my wand in my boot, I was set.

"Alright gang, let's head out!" Mr. Weasley shouted.

We all filed out of the house and said goodbye to Molly. We trekked through the woods for awhile, a few of us weren't quite sure where exactly we were going. I didn't really mind too much, I was busy listening to the wind blow through the tree's and the twins snickering in the background and Ron groaning at whatever they had done.

I'd never get this kind of peace at the Kelpie House. Beth didn't like me around her or her normal son, and when Steve was home from work Beth would try to make sure he never even had the chance to be around me. 'Steve, the trash.' 'Steve, run down to the grocery store' 'Steve, Ollie needs a bath.' 'Steve, you never spend time with me.'

I understand of course. I make her uncomfortable, I'm the unknown to her and the unknown is terrifying. Even Steve can't completely wrap his head around the witch thing. Sometimes late at night, when Beth has to work, Steve and me will sit out on the porch and talk about school.

"Tell me a wonderful story Evangeline," Steve whispered while watching the last shards of light slip over the edge of the world. It was all very whimsical.

"How about a forest one, I know I talk about it a lot, but it's my favorite place." He nodded his head in assent.

"The students aren't allowed into the forbidden forest, it's forbidden for a reason I suppose. But it's also called the dark forest. There are some dangerous things in there, and my friends have had some close encounters themselves. Spiders. Not the normal kind of course, they're the size of a large dog; at least, the baby ones are and the mother is the size of a house. But they usually keep to themselves, and aren't dangerous unless you walk into their den. But it's not all scary in the forest.

"There's the Centaurs; half human and half horse. They don't take too kindly to strangers, but they are beautiful. You see, the forest seems to go on forever - maybe it does - but in places you can find small fields. Some are empty, not a soul to be seen, only grass that dances slowly. In others there are fields of purple flowers, sometimes you can find one full of Poppy's, and sometimes you'll find Centaurs. And they race. They race across the field, laughing, playing, and their children roll in the flowers like it were snow.

"And they map the stars, they predict the future. Isn't that wonderful..."

We sat there for a long time before either of us made a sound, but Steve finally let out a slow breath and he smiled sadly.

I don't think he's very happy anymore, it's probably because Beth is putting pressure on him. But.. I think he loves her, so he doesn't say anything. That's wrong though, he should say something because he loves her. I'll have to write him to tell him this.

Suddenly, I was lifted into the air and I screamed, clutching to the shirt of the accused. Someone had picked me up princess style, and I found the culprit laughing down at me.

"Sorry little princess, I couldn't resist. You were stuck in the clouds, if I didn't hold onto you, you'd fly away for sure," a laughing Fred told me.

I pouted at him, "I was sure that I tied myself to a rock before I decided to drift off, so there really was no need to worry."

"Oh, my apology then," Fred said in mock serious. We both ended up laughing like idiots.

"I think I found it," yelled Ginny.

Fred put me down and it was then that I noticed we were in a clearing, and everyone was scattered about, looking for something. Ginny pulled an old looking boot out from a bush and put it in the middle of the clearing.

"Ah, good job Ginny. And looks like my friend has caught up. Amos! How are you," Mr. Weasley shouted.

"Good, good. Who have you brought along with you today Arthur, this can't possibly be all Weasley children," said the man I assumed to be Amos who came lumbering across the clearing.

"No, no. You know Fred, George, Ginny, and Ron. Then there's miss Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Evangeline Prince," he introduced.

"Great Merlin, Harry Potter. It's an honor my boy! And you must be Evan, right? The metamorphagus. My boy has talked about you before I believe." He scratched his head, thinking.

"Ah! Right! Where did he get? Cedric! Where are you!" Amos yelled.

"Right here dad," Cedric said from behind him making Amos jump.

We all exchanged hello's and then Mr. Weasley got our attention, "Alright, shall we then?"

We followed the lead of Amos, Cedric, and Arthur; standing in a circle around the old boot is what I'm saying we did. They took a hold of it, and so did I, Arthur had to yell at Harry to grab the thing. Then we were thrown in the air, it happened so quickly I felt my stomach drop, and the wind was so loud. I was next to Cedric when Arthur yelled for us to let go; I panicked and looked at him for an answer. He got close to my ear and told me to relax and walk on air. I didn't completely understand, but I let go anyway.

It was like I was falling, plummeting, but then I took a breath and relaxed and everything slowed down. I straightened out, and it felt like a breeze was holding me up, keeping me from falling to the ground. Then I took some little steps, and it was like I was going down the stairs. I laughed, but stopped when a few people fell passed me. Apparently no one told them the trick; it was a little mean, but I'm sure they'll be okay. Then Cedric was next to me and we were walking through air together, the thought had me laughing again. He gave me a goofy, confused smiled; like I was amusing, but he didn't get why I was laughing.

Arthur and Amos joined us and we all made our way to the ground to find an out of breath group. It was only a little bit funny.

Once everyone was recovered we made our way to where the tents were set up and the Diggory's left to find their tent. We passed quite a few tents, a lot were covered in green in support of Ireland, and some were sporting red. Then we finally got to the Weasley's tent. It was small, and would normally only fit one, maybe two, people, but there had to be a catch. And I knew there was when Ron, Ginny, the twins, and Arthur went inside. So I followed after them, and found that it was bigger on the inside. A lot bigger. There was a kitchen, a few rooms, a bathroom, all the necessities.

"I love magic," Harry muttered. I smiled at him in agreeance.

Eventually we made our way to the pitch to find our seats. Apparently, Mr. Weasley had a surprise and was very excited to show us.

We kept going up the stairs to get to our seats when we came upon the Malfoys. Mr. Malfoy was as passive aggressive, but mostly aggressive, as usual and I tried to ignore Draco. I wouldn't look at him, and I pressed myself against the rail behind the twins, I was at the back of the group but it felt like he was looking at me. I know he isn't, I'm just being self conscious.

We started to walk past them, but I stopped dead in my tracks when a big hand slipped into mine, squeezed it gently and disappeared. I looked in front of me, and everyone was a few steps ahead. I quickly looked behind me and saw Draco standing idly next to his father who was talking to someone. He wouldn't look at me, then a different hand grabbed mine, definitely not the same as before, and I found George tugging me along telling me to keep up.

Turns out we have seats near the top, and as impressive as it is, I couldn't help thinking about what happened a few minutes ago, and wondering if I'd imagined the warm hand squeezing mine. Eventually, the thoughts slipped from my mind and were replaced with the game in front of me. The players were amazing, and their technique when flying was so well done that it looked simple; even though I knew personally that it wasn't simple. I was a fan of Krum's flying, he looked powerful yet he kept it natural and elegant at the same time. Didn't hurt that he was a really good seeker. I could still out fly him if I tried.

The game was great, Ireland won but Krum caught the snitch. I hadn't been betting on a team, but it was a very exciting and a very close match indeed. Everyone was so excited that I got caught up in it, the excitement was contagious. We smiled and laughed about the game all the way back to the tent.

 **Author's Notes:**

It's been what, 2 weeks since the last update? Sorry guys, things have been hectic, but here is the chapter nonetheless. Things should be slowing down soon so I can upload a bit more. Tell me what you think of the chapter? Does it suck? I hope it doesn't suck, but if it does tell me what about it does. Or if you liked something in particular. Your thoughts are helpful.


	16. Chapter 16: Panic! At the Disco

_I don't own Harry Potter, any of the songs mentioned, or anything Panic! At the Disco related. All credit goes to the people who worked hard to get their creative junk into the world. Everything is being used for non-profit entertainment purposes. Please don't sue me, or take down my fic, thank you._

Once we got back to the tent I got an idea. I'd brought my music player and a small speaker, the Bluetooth kind. I'd set everything up and play some music in the tent. The first song that came on when I got everything ready was Not Your Birthday. Perfect. I paused the song and rushed off to grab Ginny. I told her my plan and we went back to the middle of the tent where there was a clearing. I pressed play and started to dance, Ginny by my side. The song started to pick up, and I was grinning like an idiot. The twins shrugged and joined us, and I pulled Hermione into our group. Mr. Weasley, after curiously looking at my gadgets, joined us.

Somehow we ended up outside the tent, and the song ended, but the next song on my playlist started up. Cold Cold Man started to play, this is a fun one I thought to myself. We danced, and laughed, and quickly gained a crowd. Some people joined us, others smiled and laughed and chatted with one another. And some just watched.

 **Draco**

It was getting really boring to sit around, or to stand and listen to Father talk to this or that important person. So I went walking, I wasn't planning on going anywhere, I was just going to walk around, until I heard the music. It wasn't typical music, it sounded strange. I walked towards the sound, but it stopped abruptly. I started wondering if I could find the source of the music without it playing, but then the music started up again. Something else was playing now, and I was close by it, I could even hear the words being sung.

 _Oh my love_

 _I know I am a cold cold man_

 _Quite slow to pay you compliments or public displayed affection_

I got to a wall of people, the music was everywhere, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. They were watching something that was going on in the middle of their circle of people, and I could hear laughing coming from the center as well.

 _But baby don't you go over analyze_

 _No need to theorize_

 _I can put your doubts to rest_

I pushed through the throng of people, and when I broke through to the middle I found a group of people dancing. Most of them happily messing about and some actually danced pretty well, but what caught my eye was the girl with long white-gold hair.

 _You're the only one worth seeing_

 _The only place worth being_

 _The only bed worth sleeping's the one right next to you_

She looked like she had no idea what she was doing, but had every intention to dance with the music and she smiled. Merlin, she smiled.

 _Oh my love_

 _I know you're used to desperate men_

 _Who say the words that others said_

 _For too long and for too often_

Someone twirled her and she laughed. She danced with a few people, moving through the crowd of dancers, every so often pulling someone in from the outlying crowd.

 _You're the only one worth seeing_

 _The only place worth being_

 _The only bed worth sleeping's the one right next to you_

I think the song was ending, and she was close to me; I'd somehow made it to the inner ring of the festivities. She tripped slightly and fell over, landing on her knees she settled back onto her shins and giggled to herself.

Before I even had a second to double think it I stepped forward and stuck out my hand to her. She looked up and her eyes went a little wider and her smile melted. She was surprised but that passed quickly and she started to assess me. She does this often, and not just to me. It feels like she's gently picking you apart. It makes me nervous; I'm not sure if I want her to see me or not.

She looks at me for a few seconds, but even that feels like too long. She's still staring at me when she slowly brings her hand up to take mine. Once I have hold of her I pull her to her feet, which is easy - she's very small - and she looks at our hands. Realizing, I think, that I had held her hand for just a second when she was passing me on the stairs. I don't even know why I did it. She was refusing to look at me, I felt like I had to do something. I know I keep messing up, keep making her hate me, but she's just too entrancing to leave alone.

I just looked up to find her looking at me again, trying to figure out what I was doing. Her eyes were two shades of blue, and then she blinked and her eyes were a soft gray that almost looked like my own. I tilted my head curiously at her and she seemed to snap out of it. She shook her head and blinked a few times before her eyes went back to being their normal shades of blue.

I was about to say something, I'm not sure what that something was going to be, but then there was a scream. Everyone was looking around worried when the one scream turned into many. Someone close by cried out.

"DEATH EATERS, RUN." Panic ensued.

 **Author's Note:**

The songs I used here were Not Your Birthday by Allstar Weekend and Cold Cold Man by Saint Motel. I do not own either of these songs, although you might want to listen to them anyway. The first is funny, and I love the second. I get that the songs and tech don't match up with the era, shoot me.

This chapter is a little shorter, but chapters come in all sizes.


	17. Chapter 17

The screaming was starting to really scare me when someone suddenly yelled something about a death eater and everyone started to run and scream and some started to cried. Then a few people stepped through the crowd wearing black robes and masks and started to burn all of the tents, every so often shooting a spell towards a person in the scattering crowd.

I was about to reach down into my boot for my wand when Draco grabbed my wrist and quickly pulled me along with him. We were running through the crowd, and I was trying to get him to stop. Those people were hurting everyone and burning everything to the ground, and we were just suppose to let them and run away? But Draco wouldn't let go of my hand and he wouldn't stop running so I gave up and ran with him.

We got to a small forest on the outskirts of the grounds and once Draco decided we were a suitable distance away from everything, we finally stopped. He looked panicked, like he'd have a melt down any second. It's not a very good idea to have a break down when there were dangerous black robed freaks near by, so I tried to calm him down. Maybe if he wasn't freaking he could tell me what was going on.

"Draco," I said grabbing his arm; he wasn't paying attention.

Pulling on his shirt, "Draco," I said a little more forcefully, but he was mumbling to himself; lost in his head.

I got on my toes and put my hands on each side of his face. His eyes snapped to me, I looked at him, making sure he saw me and wasn't looking passed me. Once I was sure I had his attention I told him sternly, "Breath in," I took a slow deep breath in, he copied me, "and breath out."

We did this three more times before he was calm. Then he sunk forward and hugged me, I reflexively hugged him back; I was very surprised that he was hugging me in the first place, but there was too much going on for me to over think it. His cheek was against mine and I asked quietly, "What going on out there." He tensed up and squeezed me a little harder.

"Death eaters are attacking the event," he whispered.

"Okay, what's a death eater? One of those people in masks?" I asked him tentatively.

"Yes, they're... they're you-know-who's henchmen," he told me softly.

I could assume that was a very, very bad thing. What I didn't understand was why this scared Draco so much. I didn't want to prod, he was already really stirred up, but what ever set him off scared him so badly that his usual stone mask completely crumbled. We haven't talked in months and now he was holding on to me like I was the only thing that would allow him to breath in whatever murky waters his head was in.

We stayed like this for awhile before I decided to pull back. I had one hand on his face and the other holding his hand, "Are you going to be okay, Draco?" He nodded his head slowly, his face looked empty and tired. I replied to his nod with my own and a small smile.

We leaned against a tree, still holding hands, and waited for the screams to stop. Once they did, I offered that he come with me to find the Weasley's and he looked like he was going to accept, but then his face molded itself into a frown and he denied my offer saying that his dad would be looking for him. I thought it was silly of me to forget that he came here with his dad; Mr. Malfoy must be really worried about Draco.

We walked a good ways through the carcasses and ashen remains of tents and when we weren't too far away from where the Weasley tent use to be, Draco told me he should go find his dad.

We stopped walking and although I was expecting him to leave and act like nothing happened, I realized we were still holding hands, and Draco didn't seem inclined to let go.

He was looking at the ground and his hand tightened around mine, I wasn't sure what was happening. I tried not to over think it, my brain wouldn't be able to handle that right now, and I waited.

He took a breath and looked up at me, "I wish.." he started to say but held his tongue. He was going to tell me something, and it must have been important otherwise he wouldn't be struggling to tell me.

Then his demeanor changed, he stood up straight, and putting his mask back on he looked away from me. Before letting go of my hand he brought it to his lips and gently pressed them to my hand. He looked up momentarily and met my eyes, and his were soft, almost pleading, while his face stayed neutral and cold.

Next thing I know he's let go of my hand and walking away from me.

What was that suppose to mean?! He's hiding something from me, I know that. He hides himself from everyone but he was about to let me see something of himself and changed his mind in the last second. As he walked away I thought, now I can't help myself, I have to know.

I heard someone shouting from behind me.

"Why didn't any of you think to grab her?!" A panicked scream of anger and terror.

"She disappeared in the crowd, Hermione, what was I suppose to do?" An annoyed, pleading voice.

"Evan?!"

"Evangeline?!"

I quickly walked toward the panicked voices and yelled, "I'm over here!"

Everyone quieted, and a few people sighed in relief while a few others surged forwards. Fred was the first to get to me and he squeezed me so hard I thought I might pop like a bubble, and then George was there and he was squeezing me even harder. The twins stepped back, smiling, but then Hermione was in front of me and their smiles disappeared.

"Do not run off on your own ever again do you hear me?!" She was pissed it seemed.

I looked down guiltily; I hadn't meant to run off and worry everyone, and Hermione has never yelled at me before.

Before I could contemplate on the matter more, there were arms around me, and I hugged her back tightly. Ginny gave me a quick tight hug, and Mr. Weasley gave me a pat on the back and a reassuring smile. Probably to comfort me from the raging storm that is Hermione.

We started to make our way back to the port key and I walked at the back of the group beside Harry.

"They're really happy you're okay," he told me quietly.

"Who were those guys, Harry, why did a field full of wizards flee at the sight of them." I couldn't hold back my curiosity for even a second it seems.

He sighed and took a moment to think about his answer.

"They panicked. It brought back memorize from a time when Voldemort killed and no one could stop him. The people who could fight wouldn't be able to do anything once everyone scattered. Death eaters won't fight fair either, if you cross their path they'd torture you and just as soon kill you."

That explains why Draco got us out of there so quickly.

"So what do they want." I really should have payed more attention when people were talking about this Voldemort guy.

"They're pureblood supremacists. They think that magic should stay in the pureblood families because muggle blood is dirty, because muggles are less than us," he said with disdain.

It was an atrocious idea that stuck to me like an unwanted leach, sucking at my thoughts. We were quiet for the rest of the way back to the Weasley home.

As soon as we got there and walked through the door Molly started to screech and yell about the state we were in. Mr. Weasley sent us to bed while he talked to his angry, and soon to be even angrier wife.

Ginny led Hermione and me up to her room. We were all tired and dirty, we were all covered in soot and ashes. Each of us got our pajamas, changed, tossed our hair up, and crashed. Way had passed the acceptable amount of tired, and deemed it alright to skip the shower, and just help molly do laundry tomorrow.

 **Author's Note:**

Hey guys, so first off, oh my freaking god, thank you for all the follows and reviews. I thought it was miraculous that I had gotten to 10 follows, and now I have double that. And you guys are so nice when you review, it's too sweet!

Okay on to the story. This chapter is a bit shorter like the last, but I'm already working on the next one so relax, we won't lose our words. I love hearing what you think, so review away!


	18. Chapter 18

The next day was fraught with chores and a fussing Molly Weasley. Over the next week I spent my time racing with various people, playing pranks on Ron with the twins, some studying with the girls, and baking with Molly.

Harry didn't want to race me at first, it was obvious, but the twin's insistent goading convinced him. We tried short distance, but that turned out to be a tie. So we raced a couple of miles, and it was too close, even then, to know who was first, not like it mattered, it was a lot of fun to fly with Harry; he knew how it felt to fly fast. Just another thing we had in common I suppose.

We got our supplies for the school year after we got our letters. There was something on the list that was a little weird though, dress robes. I had a vague idea of what that meant, but I grew up in the muggle world so I wasn't completely sure. I asked Ginny to make sure,

"Hey Gin, what are dress robes exactly, like, fancy clothes?"

"Yeah, really fancy clothes. Eve, I'm really curious what we'll be needing them for."

I was thinking the same thing.

Before I knew it, it was time to go back to school. Molly and Arthur saw us off and we all got onto the train. I decided to sit with the twins, but got bored of all the Quidditch talk. I might really like playing the game, but Angelina and Fred only ever talked about that one topic when they get together like this.

I was walking around, trying to find the room Hermione was in when I got stopped by the trolley.

"Anything from the trolley dear," said the old woman peaking from behind someone who was blocking the way.

The someone in question didn't turn around, but I recognized him immediately, it was hard to miss his pale blonde hair, Draco. I peaked around him and saw him paying for some custard creams.

"Do you like those," I asked normally, looking up at him.

He jumped slightly and looked down a me with questioning eyes.

He responded slowly, as if what I had asked him might be a trick. "...Yes."

I brightened immediately, "I like them too! There so good, some people think their plain since there are so many magical candies that will do this or that, but it really is delicious."

I looked up quickly and caught him smiling a bit to himself.

"Oh!" I remembered something and dropped my voice down to a whisper and leaned in conspiratorially, "But be careful. Fred and George are working on more joke treats and they've come up with something that looks exactly like a custard cream, but it's not. They're calling them Canary Cream's, but you didn't hear it from me."

I turned and looked at the trolley lady, "One packet of custard creams please."

Once I quickly paid her, Draco and I stood off to the side so she could move along the lane. The silence between us wasn't awkward, but I could feel Draco struggling to figure out something to say. I waited patiently, leaning against a wall. When he looked down at me, I looked back, and when he spoke he spoke quietly and deliberately. "You should steer clear off me Evangeline."

"Why would I do that," I asked honestly.

He seemed to be having the same battle that he had with himself back at the World Cup, but I interrupted him this time.

"I don't know why you want me to stay away from you, I never have. Draco, why would you push me away. Did I do something to offend you? I've only ever tried to be nice.. I..." I looked up at him with questioning eyes.

Again, he looked like he was about to tell me, but backed off, his face taking on the perfect stone mask.

"Fine," I said more harshly than I meant. I think it surprised him, but it was hard to tell.

"You will tell me eventually, Draco Malfoy, I am not going to leave you alone until you do. I should 'steer clear' you're saying, but I won't, especially if you won't even tell me why," I told him with determination and a bit of anger; I was facing him head on now, a bit too pissed for my own liking. I could feel my hair shift restlessly.

"I'm not just going to let you decide things that affect me." I took a step closer while I ranted; I was looking him in the eyes, and they softened as I got closer. I hadn't realized how close I had gotten until I watched his hand come up and rest against the side of my face. I didn't move, I wasn't scared of him, and I wasn't about to back down.

But when his hand was cradling my face, and his eyes looked conflicted, I felt confused myself. He was upset, and that upset me, and his hand was warm, rough in spots, and soft in others. All of my own conflicting thoughts and feelings were over whelming so I focused on his hand. I closed my eyes, and leaned into his hand, feeling the smooth and rough move against my skin and how he softly touched my face. His hand was so warm, it was a comfort that I didn't know could exist.

But then his hand was gone, and I immediately felt the emptiness. I opened my eyes to find him a couple of steps away, and saw my hurt reflected in his own.

"You don't understand, Evan," he strangled out, almost snarling- more at himself -and turned away, striding off into the Slytherin compartments.

I collapsed against the wall and slid down, wrapping my arms around my legs, burying my head between them. Someone sat down softly next to me, I peaked to see who it was. Neville was looking straight ahead, and seemed to be thinking of something to say.

I hid back into myself and huffed, "You saw that?"

He hummed his assent and I sighed heavily in response.

"It seems complicated," he said softly.

"It's impossible," I groaned.

"Depends on what you're trying to do."

"I don't even know that much."

We took a moment, breathing the silence comfortably.

"He cares about you."

I tilted my head to give my friend a confused 'explain' face.

"He cares. Otherwise he wouldn't be trying to keep you away. He apparently thinks you'd be better off without him."

"Why does he think that?" I accepted Neville's evaluation without a second thought, he was really smart about these social things, I liked it when he shared what he thought. He might be awkward but he noticed a lot, and unlike me he's had experiences with a lot of different people since he was a little babe.

"I don't know, what ever he's hiding is probably it. It could be as simple as him being a seriously mean person to everyone but you, or as complicated as his father issues, maybe something else entirely."

"Father issues?"

"You haven't heard."

I shook my head; no, no I had not.

"Well, not everyone knows, but word gets around.."

"Tell me," I demanded.

Neville hesitated, but slowly let the information slip from his mouth, "...Well.. his father was a known follower of you-know-who when he was still in power.. The only reason he isn't in prison is because he gave over information to the ministry about other death eaters and the like."

I let the information sink in. Does... that mean that the attack at the World Cup included his father. Mr. Malfoy.. was with the people in black robes who burnt everything to the ground and hurt innocent people? I could be wrong, but...

Draco didn't have anything to do with that though, I know he didn't. He was with me when it happened, and he looked as surprised as anyone. But his reaction to the attack must mean that he knew his father was involved; was that what made him lose his facade so easily?

All of this information was crazy hard to wrap my head around, but I knew something for certain. I was going to get answers, and I was going to have to get them from Draco.

"Do you like him," a voice asked.

I jumped slightly, surprised by the voice and the question.

"No? I don't- No..?" I questioned myself.

Neville hummed, seeming to understand while I had no clue how to answer.

He stood up, and held out his hand to help me up.

"We should go do something other than sit in the hall, are those custard creams?"

"Yeah actually," I said in a daze, "Actually you should watch out for these, the twins came up with a new treat."

He groaned and led the way to his compartment. Despite the fact that I was supremely confused, I was glad to have such great friends. I wouldn't trade them for anything.


	19. Chapter 19

After talking with Neville I spent most of the trip to school with him, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He didn't bring up the incident with Draco and me, which I was thankful for. I wouldn't know what to say and it would probably start a fight; Harry and Ron might, sort of, despise Draco a lot.

When we got closer to school I left them to go get dressed in my uniform, and when we got there I was greeted by Hagrid.

"Hello there Evan!"

"Hi Hagrid, how was your summer?"

"Very full, you'll know all about it soon enough," he told me with a conspiratorial smile.

Well this year is going to be interesting.

I got split up from everyone, but met them at the great hall. We all got there and took our regular seats; we didn't have to wait long for Professor Dumbledore to start his speech. He introduced a new teach who was creepy, not because of his weird eye which was quite interesting, but the way he felt was creepy. I wasn't paying too much attention after that, too busy trying to toss one of my purple beads at Fred's head when Dumbledore mentioned guests. Then something about a Tri-Wizard Tournament, and after that he announced, "Please welcome the lovely ladies from Beauxbatons."

The girls from Beauxbatons were kind of flashy in a demur way, but it was enough to get most of everyone's attention, especially the boys. I refused to look across the room, instead focusing on the girl's performance.

Next was the boys from Durmstrang, and their entrance was pretty fierce. It left me wondering why they needed a performance at all. Would we do something like that if we went to visit another school? Is it to entertain, or to show off, or maybe tradition?

I put my random thoughts to the back of my mind as the feast started. I did in fact get to turn Fred's hair purple; he tried to act displeased but ended up laughing more than everyone else when I copied his hair cut and color on my own head.

 **Draco **

The lady's from Beauxbatons Academy put on a show worth their title, I'm sure. But I wouldn't know personally because I wasn't watching them, I was watching a certain girl across the way who seemed intrigued by the show of prowess. Then the Durmstrang gang traipsed through, and I refused to be worried about how she would react. Why was I still staring? Why did she not swoon at the new students like the rest of the girls? Why did she look more curious than anything? Why won't she look at me?

I shook my head hard, sneering down at an empty plate. The feast started and every once in awhile, between boring conversations of this or that, my eyes would wander across the room to find a girl making fun of a purple headed Weasley. She'd copy his hair and everyone would laugh. She'd say something cheeky and everyone would laugh. She'd smile and they'd smile back. It was all so genuine and real. It was all something that I'd never have, because if I did try to have what she did, I'd destroy it. I'd hurt her even if I didn't try. She is too radiant to smother in the darkness that surrounds me. Seriously though, fuck me and my poetry.

 **Evangeline**

After the feast we went to our dorm, I went up with Hermione and we happily crashed on our new beds. The other two girls had already claimed their beds, I took the one near the window, between Lavender and Parvati, and Hermione took the one nearest the door. We didn't mind that we didn't have our beds next to each other, we were still in the same room, and I really didn't mind since I got the bed near the window. don't

We stayed up for awhile, talking about our schedules, Hermione might have mentioned I was right in saying she was taking way too many last year; it was a disaster, she was too tired to stand, and her normal patience was out the window.

We're taking Herbology together this year as well as Potions, Charms, Transfigurations, and History of Magic. She was taking Arithmancy and I was taking Divination and Care of Magical Creatures; we had DADA on different days but otherwise we had most classes together.

After a weekend of unpacking and lollygagging, Monday came around and it was time for classes. Monday mornings for me was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs; I made my way to the green house with Hermione and got to class a bit early. We sat around and waited for everyone to arrive, when they did we started class. It was the basic run of the mill first day of school kind of class. We went through the various poisonous flowers, deadly vines, and harmful leaves we'd be learning with, and basic safety precautions for all of them whether it be light body armor or a gas mask or even a technique on how to die slower if you breath in something you definitely shouldn't.

It was all very interesting, but then it was time for Care of Magical Creatures with Slytherin and Ravenclaw. After last year's class Hermione decided not to take it again; most of last year was dedicated to raising Flobberworms which, at the worst, die if you over feed them lettuce.

I got to class early, there was a pretty long break between this class and Herbology. We'd be having class outside today since it was so nice out. I wasn't expecting to find anyone waiting for class to start like I was planning on doing, but I found one other person there anyway.

"Hey Neville! How are you?"

"Oh! Evan, Hi, I'm fine. You?"

"Still thinking about how I'm supposed to get through to.. you know.."

"Ahhh.."

"Yeah, so far all I can think to do is just to keep talking to him."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Yeah.. Thanks Neville. How about you, anyone in particular that you fancy of late? I've never asked."

He blushed at my inquiry. "I- I well.. well maybe someone.."

I gasped in excitement, making Neville jump slightly. "Oh no, I didn't even notice! Who is it? Someone from our house? Probably not though, so I'm gonna guess Hufflepuff then?"

He shook his head, yes, bewildered at me talking to myself. I just smiled and looked at him, "Oh, you don't have to tell me, but if you want to you can of course. I won't say anything to anyone."

 **Neville**

Of course I knew she wasn't going to tell anybody, but it didn't make my crush any less embarrassing to talk about out loud.

I went ahead and told her anyway, "..Luna Lovegood.."

She was staring at me, mouth open, eyes wide. I was starting to worry that I'd somehow froze her, but then her surprised face slowly warmed itself into a slowly climbing smile.

"That is perfect. You guys would be perfect for each other," she told me in a dazed wonderment, astonished at the discovery, and making me blush ear to ear.

"R- really?"

"Yeah, definitely. It's a perfect match, I can't wait for you guys to date, and get married, and have little happy babies.." she trailed off into her imagination.

"Oh please stop, Evan, you're killing me," I whined.

She laughed and hugged me, "Killing you with love, Neville!"

I hugged her back, hoping the torment of this conversation was over when I spotted someone coming down the path. And I immediately wondered if this was going to hurt or help Evan in her endeavors as a boy with pale hair walked towards us. He stopped in his tracks when he could see us and I whispered to Evan, "Someone's shown up."

She looked up at me, furrowing her brow, then turning her head enough to see one Draco Malfoy standing on the path. One Draco Malfoy who was trying to cover up the fact that he looked like he was going to try to break me if given the chance. If I was being honest, I didn't want Evan to be around my biggest childhood bully, but for some reason she wanted to be around him; what was I to do?

When she spotted him she inhaled sharply and held her breath. He turned on his heals and strode away quickly in the opposite direction. I didn't miss the burning hate in his eyes as he looked at me, even if he was still trying to hide it.

"Draco!" she yelled, desperately, I might add.

"Neville, sorry, watch my things?" she asked, while already running to catch up to him.

"Sure!" I yelled at her disappearing back.

I was worried, definitely. But this showed, again, that he was most certainly in love with her. What I didn't get was why he was holding back; he was always the type to take what he wanted, even if it made him the prick. Was it because her bloodline was undefined? Worried about what his parents would think, maybe? Looks like Evan is going to have to figure it out.

I just don't like her running off with him while he's angry. I doubt he would hurt her, but if he does he's going to have half the school coming for him; Evangeline has quite the reputation. She has befriended almost everyone at this school; Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw alike. And if she hasn't made you into her friend, then you haven't met her or you're Pansy Parkinson. I've seriously seen her sneak treats from the kitchen to Crabbe and Goyle before. She told me they were health treats because 'All I see them eat are sweets, that's not good for them. And stuff that's good for you can taste good too.'

She's so naive, and kind it's ridiculous. She hasn't changed much since I first met her, and yet she's grown so much as a person.

If Draco Malfoy lays a hand on her, I'll personally hunt him down.


	20. Chapter 20

"Draco!" I yelled, admittedly desperate.

Why was he running off? Why is he so angry? I should be the one who's angry, right?

"Neville, sorry, watch my things?" I asked, but didn't wait for an answer. I was already chasing after Draco.

He was storming up the path; we were still in the woods, and even though he was obviously trying to get away from me, there wasn't anywhere for him to run or hide.

He quickly changed course and started to cut a path through the forest. I followed him, and we were just far enough away from the path when I yelled his name again. He turned around, fuming, "WHAT? What do you want!?"

"I want to know why you're so angry!"

"Why don't you just worry about flirting with your boyfriend!"

"Neville?! That's why you're angry?"

"It doesn't even matter, does it? Just go have fun with your new boyfriend," he sneered.

"He isn't my boyfriend! He's a friend of mine! Why is this upsetting?! Why would it matter if I had a boyfriend?!"

His eyes went wide at the new information, and he seemingly realized what he was yelling about, but I wasn't done.

"Not like you have any right to be mad at me about who I talk to, or who my boyfriend might be, or who my friends are when you won't even come any where near me! You've avoided me like the plague for three years! You don't get to be angry with me! And not once was I angry with you when I should have been!" I could feel the tears streaming down my face, and my hair was long, wavy, and purple, but I couldn't focus on that. All I could see was the boy in front of me who seemed to be having yet another battle with himself, but this time he exhaled, and seemed to cave in on the subject.

I was trying to glare angrily at him, but it might have just been seen as me sobbing.

He straightened and looked at me, walking straight for me, he put his arms around me.

He was holding me, and I wanted to still be angry, I wanted to shove him and tell him to jump into the lake. But I couldn't, it felt impossible, and I just sobbed some more and held onto him.

He held me tightly, and stroked me hair, and it felt so unfair. If he was this kind, I'd want him to be with me all of the time.

I stopped crying, but I refused to let go. He didn't seem to mind, and kept stroking my hair which had relaxed into a somber blue.

He whispered, "I like you... a lot, Evan, but nothing good will come from being around me."

Things were quiet for a long minute, and I could feel the tension rolling off of him.

I mumbled into his shirt, "E dun cur."

"What?" he asked.

"I don't care," I said louder. I turned my head, laying my ear against his chest, so he could hear me, "You think you're protecting me. You think this will make things better. You think that if you hurt yourself and stay away form me that everything will be fine. But you've only hurt me, and you hurting yourself only makes me feel even worse. I don't know what you think you're protecting me from, but I'd rather have you around and face the consequences than not have you around at all."

I looked up at him, and he looked down at me. He still seemed to be on the fence about it all. So I tried to give him a little push.

"Besides, I'm not going to leave you alone. So you trying to protect me by staying away is just a waste of time," I told him bluntly. He smiled slightly and slowly nodded his head in confirmation. He squeezed me a little tighter, and we just stayed like that for awhile, just thinking.

I hoped this meant he wouldn't run from me anymore. I'm not sure what'll happen next; I've never been more than a friend to anyone, and it's such a weird feeling. I've never really liked anyone before, I hadn't even realized I liked him until Neville asked me if I did. And I don't know where to go from here. Should.. should I ask him on a date? My eyes went wide at the thought, and my face began to warm. No, no, no, we aren't there yet, right?

Draco suddenly sighed, saying, "We should probably get to class."

"Oh, right," I said, blushing more and stepping away from him.

He started to walk back to the path and I followed close behind him.

When we got back to class we split up; I went to find Neville and Draco went to stand with his friends. Hagrid didn't see us, too busy talking about blast-ended skrewts. When I got back to Neville he asked me what happened and I very quietly explained about the yelling match and everything that followed.

He seemed surprised at the new development and asked, "Sooo, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure.. I didn't think I'd convince him to talk to me so soon. I don't know what's suppose to happen now."

"You don't need to over think it, but I'm sure you'll figure it out as you go along. I'm here if you need anything."

Neville's kindness made me smile, "Thanks.."

Class ended and on my way up to the DADA room I kept thinking about Draco, and what I would do next to help our relationship thing. Was I even allowed to call it that? A relationship? By the sense of the word sure, but with all the implications? Not so sure.

My thoughts were interrupted by two ginger headed boys.

"On your way to class bunny?" "Wouldn't happen to be headed to DADA?"

"Oh, Hi Fred, Hello George. Yeah DADA. You too?"

"Us too," they chimed.

It wasn't a too uncommon a thing to have one teacher teaching a class with two different grades in it. Lectures would be given either separately or half the class would get the lecture while the other half studied or did an assignment; so if a couple classes were small, why not just combine them and save everyone some time?

We made our way to the class room, chatting about their next big prank, and whether I'd join them or not.

We took our seats, still discussing the prank against an unknowing character, when our new teacher came hobbling in. He didn't look very happy to be there, but I've heard that he almost never looks happy.

He made it very clear that we'd be learning about the Unforgivable Curses; what wasn't clear was that we'd see them for ourselves in class today.

The Imperius Curse was the first, and at the beginning he made the whole class laugh. I didn't find it as funny. I wasn't a fan of spiders, but it was cruel to toss it around the room like a rag doll, it must have been terrified. Then he made a show of almost tossing it out the window, and threatening to drown it.

My limit was nearing, I was holding back my appearance and my words. Then he asked for the name of another curse. Lee, a friend of mine, slowly raised his hand; he looked like he was ready to puke. Professor Moody pointed to him for an answer.

"The Cruciatus Curse... Sir.."

What followed was outrageous, and against the law. I could practically feel the horrified looks on George and Fred's faces, they were the first to speak up.

"Professor Moody!" "Professor!"

But he wasn't listening, and I'd had enough. All at once I stood up, knocking over my chair, my hair changed to a curly mess of bright, fiery orange, and I yelled for the second time today. New record.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

He seemed to come out of what ever creepy, messed up trance he was in, and simply asked, "Is there a problem.. Ms. Prince?"

"Your sarcasm is a problem, SIR, along with your blatant disregard for respect of another living things life," I seethed.

"This is my class. I will teach it as I see fit."

"I don't think that even Dumbledore would allow something this vulgar to happen in his school. Which leads me to believe that he doesn't know that you are conducting illegal magic inside a class room. You might be allowed to use such curses for your line of work, but this is a school and you are a PROFESSOR here!"

He grumbled, and looked none too pleased, "If you don't like my lesson, then you can leave."

"Oh, I think I will, but firstly," I grabbed my bag and walked up to the front of the class grabbing the big jar the spider had been in and angrily called, "Accio Spider!"

The spider appeared in the jar and I put the lid on it. I carefully put the jar in my bag and started walking for the door.

I turned around before I left, announcing, "If your future lesson plans include something like this again, I won't hesitate to call the ministry myself," then I left out the door and headed back to Care of Magical Creatures, where I knew I'd find Hagrid.

Walking back to the small field in the forest gave me time to think and calm down. It was where we almost always held class and it brought back memories. One of my favorite being the day I met Buckbeak.

...

I was heading to class with my friends for my very first day of Care of Magical Creatures, and I was so excited! After two years of following Hagrid around, learning about the creatures in the forest, I finally get to take a class doing just that!

We arrived, and out of no where he brings out a Hippogriff. It was huge and intimidating but so beautiful and alive.

When he asked for volunteers I yelled, "ME," and rushed to the front of the class. People looked at me like I was crazy. I might be, who knows, I thought happily.

Hagrid told me to bow and I did. I bowed low, and with a flourish like I'd seen in the films when a man would ask a woman to dance; I put one hand across my front and the other out to the side.

I assumed from the clapping that Buckbeak had bowed back and Hagrid confirmed this for me. He told me to keep my head bowed but to take a slow step forward and put my hand out. I did as he asked and was rewarded with a smooth beak and soft feathers to the bottom of my hand.

I was petting a Hippogriff! Out of nowhere Hagrid told me Buckbeak would let me ride him, and I was about to ask what he meant, but I was already on top of it and racing off into the distance. I had to hold on tight, and it was terrified when he took off into the air. We went from running to flying and it was so scary, but once I got over the scary part it was the most exhilarating thing I'd ever done in my life.

We got back to the class and I was surround by excited noise. Then I heard an annoyed voice push through the crowd, "That doesn't look hard to do. Bet he's as harmless as a kitten." A boy I'd never met before stepped forward; I saw from his clothes that he was Ravenclaw, but I didn't recognize him one bit. I was still on Buckbeak when the boy stomped towards us.

Buckbeak reared up and lashed out, I held onto his feathers as not to fall off, but pulled hard to the side to get him to swerve away from the boy. I succeeded, the boy fell over but wasn't hurt otherwise. I got off Buckbeak and strode up to the boy. "You. Scared. Him. And that is dangerous. Stay right where you are," I used my stern voice.

I walked over to Hagrid and whispered to him quickly, "I know you're knew to teaching, so I'll let you know that you need to give that boy a detention. And in the future you'll want to let your class know what happens when you ignore safety rules around potentially dangerous animals. Lay down the law, Hagrid, this is your class, and their safety is your responsibility."

Hagrid had a very serious face while I told him this, and nodded his agreement, then smiled kindly down at me, "Thank ye Evan. Don't know what I'd do without ya'."

...

It was a very interesting day to say the least, which led to an investigation on Buckbeak. The ministry was contemplating on removing the Hippogriff from Hagrid's care but Hermione, Harry, and me did that for them. There was someone else who needed Buckbeak more than Hagrid.

When I finally reached Hagrid's class I got his attention and he told his class to mingle about themselves for a moment while he came to talk to me.

I explained about Professor Moody and my yelling spree in class, and I pulled out the jar and handed it to Hagrid. He was absolutely horrified, and said he would take care of it right away. He dismissed his class 30 minutes early and hurried off to his hut. I made my way back up to the castle with everyone else, wondering if I should say something about the class to Professor McGonagall. She was probably busy; I heard that Dumbledore was off on business and she was temporarily running things for the week.

I decided against it and went to investigate the kitchens for a late snack.

 **Author's Note:**

Okay, Wow. Chapter 20 already, guys; time fly's. Thank you to all the new follows and favorites, I didn't think people would actually enjoy my little story; I have no idea what I'm doing, so thanks. I'm really sorry this was a pretty late update; my internet isn't the stablest thing. I already have the next chapter written up and will put it up very soon.

 **VeryaTirananniel:** I'm super sorry I skipped your favorite years. I was planning on filling in those years in flashbacks, or the sort, along the way. But I might be able to add some throwback chapters after I'm done with the main story. The future of Draco and Evan shall be interesting to say the least. Thank you for the review!


	21. Chapter 21

It was Thursday before I knew it, and Divination was my next class. I was headed there with the twins who informed me that the class was known to the other students as a blow off class.

We got to one of the tallest towers- it was a long walk -and picked our seats for class. Our teacher came out of a back room. She had big frizzy hair that was held back with multiple, colorful head bands. She wore a lot of jingly bracelets and reminded me of a gypsy, except, she acted a bit odd. She seemed to be overly.. dramatic?

It was kind of sad; it made me imagine a little girl in her room, telling tales of the future with big arm gestures and a spooky voice. And no one would listen so she'd be left telling the stories to her stuffed friends.

Class started and she went over the "Mysterious Beyond" and how we'd "Open our minds to the possibilities."

Fred and George made a lot of jokes but stopped when I told them that they were being disrespectful to the art of divination just because they didn't like the teacher.

She told us what section of our books to study for the next time we'd see her and ended class early.

I walked with the twins towards Great Hall, but they left to go perfect their upcoming prank.

When I got to the Great Hall I realized I'd shown up fairly early. There was already food laid out on the tables but only a few people milling about. I grabbed a blueberry muffin from a table and left, deciding to head to where ever my feet would take me while I waited for my next class to start.

I was humming a random tune and strolling towards the court yard, but I stopped paying attention and next I looked I had ended up in front of the potions class, in the dungeons, near the Slytherin dorms. Curious. When did that happen?

I was just thinking of heading back to my own common room when I turned around swiftly. I did turn, but stopped short when I found someone right where I was about to step. I looked up to find one Professor Snape standing in front of me.

I went to apologize, but stopped short yet again when I found him staring at me. Instinctively, I stared back, analyzing, trying to figure things out. Why was he staring, he was trying to understand something. What is he looking for?

I snapped out of it pretty quickly, I was staring at my teacher, no no no. I don't want to weird Professor Snape out, he's my favorite teacher, he helped me a lot my first year and every year after.

I smiled, to reassure myself and relieve some anxiety. "Hello Professor Snape, sorry I didn't mean to block the way."

"What is a Gryffindor doing in the dungeons?"

"I'm sorry Professor, I was trying to kill time before my next class but I lost track of where I was going and ended up here."

"You have time to spare... Ms. Prince. Instead of killing it, why not use it to your advantage."

"Oh! Yes Professor, I should have thought of that."

"Hmm." He walked into his class room.

I headed back towards the stairs pretty quickly, embarrassed a bit and looking at me feet, and ran into yet another person, literally this time.

I was face to chest with someone who smelled of winter; peppermint and cool air and warm fires.

"Evan?"

I squealed and jumped back; an inquisitive looking Draco stood in front of me, he was trying not to laugh.

"Sorry! So sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. Doing a lot of that recently..."

"It's alright. I was actually wondering.. do you have any plans right now?"

"Eh? Right now," my face started to warm, "no, not really."

"Good then you won't mind joining me outside," he said and started to walk towards the stairs.

"Wha- oh- wait Draco! Slow down!"

I followed him outside, we were headed towards the forest, but he veered towards the lake.

"So, why the lake? I thought we were going to the forest," I said, sounding a little disappointed.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "You go in the forest?"

"Well yes, why wouldn't I?"

"Because of all the dangerous creatures that call it home," he told me, baffled at my response.

"They aren't dangerous-well-some of them are. But not if you know how to handle them, how to respect them."

"And you know these things?"

"I've been learning about the animals in the forest since my first year at Hogwarts."

Draco seemed a little distraught at this news, he seemed really worried. Maybe he's scared of wild creatures. Maybe I could help him.

"I could show you. There isn't anything to be scared of," I said determinedly and started walking with purpose towards the forest edge which was in sight.

"Evan!?"

He started to run to catch up to me, but I started to run too, grinning like an idiot.

I broke through the tree line, and immediately hid behind a near by tree. Draco appeared near me just as I got in my hiding spot.

"Evan?" he questioned the air quietly.

"Shhhh, you'll scare away Everything."

"Evan?" he said more quietly, "What do you mean 'everything'?" he asked while turning circles, looking for me.

"I mean, Everything. Listen."

It was quiet for a moment after our conversation stopped, then Everything took life and could be heard.

The wind would dance with the tree's, both making there own sound, both going together perfectly. The birds would sing their conversations, and the small things would scuttle in the leaves on the ground and in bushes.

While he listened I snuck up on him. I avoided leaves and sticks and was standing behind him before I knew it.

"Do you hear it?" I whispered.

He jumped and turned around, "Evan! You scared me!" He was back to talking normally.

"Yes, well, it was too perfect a moment. But you heard it, didn't you? And there is so much more, this'll be fun. Come on then!"

I started making my way though the forest, avoiding bushes and holes in the ground. I made my way to one of the small open areas in the forest, I wondered what we'd happen across first. It'd be best if it were a family of Unicorns or maybe a random wild animal like a Hippogriff. If we came face to face with a centaur it might get tricky and I don't know if Draco can see Thestrals.

We walked for awhile, side by side, just talking about this or that. I found out that he likes the color green but prefers gray or blue, both really; he can play the piano and is a master chess player. He's never ridden in a car or seen a movie, the last one is an atrocity and must be fixed.

I told him that I live with my adoptive parents, I don't have any living family, and that I'm a year younger than him. I explained that Professor Dumbledore invited me to Hogwarts a year early because of the whole metamorphagus thing.

"I found out that my last name is Prince on top of it all. Such a weird name don't you think?" 

"...Prince?" Draco stopped walking.

"Yeah, Prince. It's not that ridiculous is it?"

"No no, it's just that, doesn't that mean.."

I furrowed my brow, "Mean what?"

"Aren't you related to Professor Snape?"

"What are you talking about? Snape. Prince. Two different last names I would think."

"No, Evan. Prince is Snape's family name. It was his mother's last name. On top of that, the Prince family was a Pureblood family."

"I-I'm related to Professor Snape?"

"Well I'm not completely sure, but Prince isn't a common last name."

"Why didn't he say anything?" 

"I wouldn't know, maybe we should ask him?"

I shook my head in confirmation; it was silent for a bit after that until we stumbled upon a clearing, looking up to find a herd of Thestrals roaming about.


	22. Chapter 22

Draco was behind me, and I turned around quickly, blocking the view.

"Okay. Just. Tell me if you see them. Okay?"

"See them?"

"Yep. Uhmm, alright, take a look."

I don't know why I was so nervous. Not a lot of people could see Thestrals, except for the adults who had gone through the war against Voldemort. Showing Draco the Thestrals felt personal, they were important to me, and I hoped that if he could see them that he would like them.

He peeked around me and his eyebrows raised at what he did, or didn't see. If he can see them then he'd recognize them from the beginning of the school year, they pulled the 'horseless' carriages.

Everything was quiet for a moment and then he looked down at me.

"Those weird horse-birds... you can see them too?"

I laughed louder than I wanted, and put a hand over my mouth to stifle them as not to scare the Thestrals.

I nodded my head, my eyes welled with tears from laughing, and I spluttered into my hand.

 _He just called the Thestrals 'horse-birds', it's too much. I might die here and now from laughter._

He shook his head at me in exasperation, "What did I say?" he almost whined.

"Oh nothing, you're just really funny.."

"Oh, am I now," he asked with a raised eyebrow, and more than a hint of sarcasm.

"Mmm hmm," I hummed. "If you like we could get a closer look.." I decided to change the subject.

"Alright," he murmured softly.

I led him into the more open area that was occupied by the roaming Thestrals. The younger ones were snorting and flapping there wings about, running around in circles with each other. The older Thestrals roamed and bathed in the random sunlight shining through gaps in the over head trees. We took a few steps toward this scene, and the older creatures had already recognized our presence.

I told Draco to wait there while I greeted them; he didn't question me. I walked up to the older group of them and stopped, bowing my head, I waited for someone to approach me. It didn't take long, and they all eventually came and tapped there large noses against my side, or my arm, or leg; any where they could reach really. After they did this I sat up and rubbed them under the jaw, and smiled; I know these Thestrals of course, and they've known me for quite awhile as well.

I met them my second year; I had been going into the forest a lot since my first year, but there were still parts unexplored. I found them deep in the forest on one of my weekend exploring days, which I had every so often. It took me awhile to gain there trust; a Thestral is shy by nature, never afraid, but always wary. Once I gained there trust I somehow just became another part of their family.

Once I was done saying hello they noticed Draco standing in the background. Their first inclination was to shy away and leave, but I didn't want that; I had to show them that he wasn't any type of threat, that he would be okay to trust.

I walked up to Draco and pulled him forward by the arm to stand in front of them. It felt like they were an audience I needed to please. I had to think quick, how do you show a Thestral you trust someone.

I figured it out pretty quickly; you have to use their gestures. I bent forward a bit and nuzzled the top of my head against his arm, looking to see if the Thestrals had any reaction to it and then looking up to see Draco's reaction. They looked inquisitive, and he looked bemused, so maybe this would work.

I nudged him with my head and he nudged me back with his arm, I shook my head no at him. He took a minute to think and then, coming to a conclusion, bent over and pressed his forehead against mine. He nudged me, I nudged him back, he was grinning like this was the most entertaining thing in the world, I was blushing like a maniac.

I looked over to the Thestrals, and one had stepped forward. He was the tallest, and the leader of the group; I liked to call him Trolley, he reminded me of magic candy. Trolley was in front of Draco, who didn't look scared which was good because if he did then Trolley would have dismissed him as unimportant. Instead, Trolley nudged Draco in the shoulder, harder than he needed to, but he did it anyway meaning the other members of the group got to say hello now.

They all came over, sniffed, prodded, flapped and grunted at everything. I think Draco was enjoying himself. As soon as that was over, and the older group moved on, I led him over to the younger ones.

They were a lot less shy and jumped around us in circles. To be honest, Thestrals were well known as a demur animal, but that was only when they were tamed and raised by people; like the Thestrals that Hagrid looked after. I don't know why it happens that way, but wild Thestrals are always more playful.

I never feed them. Once you feed them, they start to become tame - dependent on a person for some kind of food. That's what Hagrid told me anyway.

Once I came out of my own thoughts I looked to Draco, and I felt my heart stop; he was smiling. Not one of his snide smiles, not a wicked playful one, and it wasn't small and hidden. It was a full blown smile, complete with pure joy, an open laugh, and silver eyes that looked like star dust.

I've never seen him look like that. It really made me realize that he normally looks so sad, so incomplete, so unhappy. None of which you can see, it's only something you can feel.

It made me remember something that wasn't mine to remember.

A small boy is sitting in his room, he picks at the tight pants he's wearing and looks out the window; he looks and feels sad. It's a sunny day and he wants so badly to go outside and run in the grass. The temptation is too much for the small child and he jumps off his too-big-bed and runs to the door. He stops and looks out into a hall that seems to go on forever. No one is there and he makes a mad dash down it, stopping around corners to check for people, but he see's no one on his trip.

He goes through a too-big-kitchen and out a door; the other side holds a small garden of vegetables that the boy finds to be full of odd and funny looking things. He continues past the garden of vegetables to another garden full of flowers. These flowers are neat and in rows and each seem to be of pure white, but they aren't very pretty, the boy thinks. He runs past the garden of flowers to the back of his too-big-house and runs through the empty field there.

The grass comes up to his little shins, the people haven't cut it yet he thinks, and he can feel it tickle his ankles. He smiles widely at this; the first time in awhile he feels happy. He runs, and runs, and comes to the top of a hill. He gets to the top and looks across his family's land. What he finds is surprising; a sea of bright, but soft looking red. He isn't sure what it is, but it looks beautiful. There's a green forest to the far left and right, and in the far back, but in the middle of it all the ground, which was suppose to be green fields, was completely red. It only made the blue sky and green trees look even better, the boy thought.

He quickly ran down the hill, the sea of red was farther than it looked but he kept running anyways, too excited about his find. He fell to his knees at the edge of the sea and touched the surface of it; it was as soft as it looked and there were black spots in the sea of red. It was a very odd thing he thought, and decided to take part of the sea home with him. So he reached his hand into the red sea and pulled out a piece of it. What he pulled from the sea was a flower with big, round, flat, red petals with a round black middle and a bright green stem. The most beautiful flower he had ever seen, much better than the flowers by the house. Curious thing that a flower came out of the sea, but it was a curious thing that a sea was just behind his house, so he let it be.

It was a memory, that wasn't my own. The memory quickly turned into a buzzing feeling and the images of the boy and the red field turned into a field of people. They were fighting and screaming and dying.

"The dead liter the floor and blood streams from the living and the dead alike, but the dead don't sweat as the living do. The dead will not cry like the living will as they mourn the loss of friend and family alike. A loss that can never be regained. They will die but they do it for us. For the living, so we may live. So we may live." I could hear myself say the words while I watched people die and bleed and fight.

I blinked hard and was staring up at the sky, the sky and Draco's panicked face. My face felt wet and I touched it to confirm the thought, I was crying. It took me a second to remember why I was crying, my mind felt fuzzy and my breathing ragged. But once it did I looked up, eyebrows furrowed, at Draco.

"What.. what was that," I asked hoarsely, my throat felt rough.

"I'm not sure.." he replied.

 **Draco**

I think I really like these Thestral things. They look kind of funny, but they're actually really cute. They remind me of a certain someone. I was just playing with the baby Thestrals, wondering if I could call them colts, when I checked to see what Evan was doing. I was not expecting what I saw. Her hair had turned to a pure white and her eyes looked glazed as she stared past me. I quickly walked up to her and could hear her mumble; it was nothing coherent for a moment but then I heard her say 'the red sea', it was a very nostalgic thing to hear. The red sea was what I called the Poppy field behind my house, it popped up every spring. But she couldn't mean that of course; I was really worried about her, and she wasn't responding to me calls.

Very suddenly her hair faded into a pitch black, and she dropped like a rock. I caught her and lowered us to the ground, holding her in my arms. Her head fell back, and she looked emptily up at the sky. Then she started to speak. But she didn't sound like herself, and her words sounded forced and rugged.

"The dead liter the floor and blood streams from the living and the dead alike," she held the empty look and her voice became ever more strained as she began to cry, "but the dead don't sweat as the living do. The dead will not cry like the living will as they mourn the loss of friend and family alike," she took a deep shuddering breath in, crying even harder, and sounding desperate, "A loss that can never be regained. They will die but they do it for us. For the living, so we may live. So we may live." She kept muttering the last line before she went silent, breathing hard like she'd just run a marathon.

She finally blinked, and then looked at me. It seemed for a second that she didn't remember what just happened, but then a pained look came over her face and she asked me in a quiet, hoarse voice, "What... what was that.."

"I'm not really sure," I replied softly, "but we'll find out, okay?"

"Okay.." she whispered, but more like mouthed.

We stayed like this for a long while, Evan seemed really tired. I wondered if she'd be able to make it back to the castle; I needed to get her to Madam Pomfrey. I asked her if she could walk, but she was half asleep, so instead I gently moved her onto my back and told her to hang on. As we passed the Thestrals she softly patted one and we were on our way.

I was careful to go back exactly the way we came, but every so often Evan would point to a different direction than what we were going. I was sure I was going back the same way, and asked her why we'd go the way she pointed. She mumbled something about 'the forest moves' and then returned to holding on to me.

She knew this place better than me, even half asleep, so I went the way she instructed every time she told me to go a certain direction, even though it contradicted what I knew to be the direction of the castle.

In about 20 minutes we were standing in front of the castle, which was weird considering it took us at least 30 to get to the Thestrals and we were going a lot slower this time. What was even stranger was that the sun was in the middle of the sky, it was noon, even though we'd gone into the forest at noon, the sun was saying time hadn't even passed. I asked Evan and she quietly told me 'the forest likes to keep people it likes'. A scary thought, that she didn't seem too scared about.

By the time I walked us up to the healing ward it wasn't even dark out yet. I laid her down on one of the beds and went to knock on Madam Pomfrey's office door. She told me to come in and I sat down in the seat across from her desk. I explained about what happened with Evan, and she quickly wrote a letter and sent it off with one of her 3 personal owls.

I asked what was wrong with her, and all she said was that Evan was fine and just needed some rest. It was infuriating, the woman knew more but refused to tell me. I couldn't lose my temper with her though, I definitely knew better by now.

Madam Pomfrey told me I could leave, but leaving felt wrong so I sat down in the bed next to Evan's instead, and waited.

 **Author's Note:**

So what did you guys think of all this hocus pocus? cx

 **SlythendorGirl:** Okay, you didn't miss anything. No, she isn't suppose to be having any classes with the twins. But then I was like, 'Na mate' and did it anyways. I wanted to keep mostly on track with the original series, but I also wanted Evan to have a couple classes with the twins, if I must put some logic behind why they're taking classes with a fourth year, then it is as follows.

Divination is like an elective, I'm gonna toss it out there that they either didn't take it in their fourth year, and decided to take it this year; or they failed it (definitely on purpose) and retook the class. As for DADA - I'm not sure how many schools do this, but mine sometimes puts different years in the same class. Like juniors and seniors in the same English class, just having them do different work. These are my excuses; I'll go back and add some details to the chapter to clarify.

This explanation is way to long, goodbye now.


	23. Chapter 23

I woke up next to a darkening room, shadows and orange light were tossed across objects that were unfamiliar. Not in my room, I thought. Then I remembered the forest, and the boy's memory, and the dying people. I physically cringed at the thought; it made me want to curl in on myself. I didn't, instead I sat up, and looked around finding I was in the infirmary. I didn't notice anyone in it with me until I looked to my left and found Draco sleeping in the bed next to mine.

His breathing was steady and his face was calm. His hair was mused from sleep and he was still in his uniform minus one tie and robe, and it was wrinkled. He didn't leave? Oh... right.. we're like.. friends now.. right? My sleepy brain tried to put the puzzle pieces together. I felt kind of empty, an empty kind of tired. While my fuzzy, tired brain tried to work the pieces into place, someone came into the room and it ceased my scurrying thoughts.

Dumbledore came in, and walked up to me. What was he doing here?

"Hello there Evangeline," he whispered, "I do believe that your...friend? He is asleep, maybe we should talk in Poppy's office?" He gestured for me to follow him and I did.

We entered the office that was devoid of one 'Poppy' and we both sat down in the two big, comfy chairs opposite of her desk.

"I assume you know why I'm here?" he asked.

"Uhm.. because I collapsed?"

He chuckled a bit, "Something like that Ms. Prince."

"I've come to answer some questions you might have about what happened earlier today. Poppy told me earlier about what Mr. Malfoy said, but I'd like to hear it from you."

"Poppy..."

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey."

"No. There was- was a Poppy Field, so many Poppies.."

"How about we start from the beginning." 

"I was taking Draco to see something in the forest. We found Thestrals... and he was smiling. I've never seen him smile like that. It made me remember something.."

"What did you remember?"

"It wasn't mine."

"What wasn't yours?"

"What I remembered. The memory wasn't mine," it was a weird feeling, to have someone else's memory, "..but it changed."

"The memory changed?"

"No, not that. What I was remembering changed. It wasn't a memory anymore, it was something else. Or maybe it was a memory, I don't know.."

"How about you tell me about what you saw?"

"Okay," I whispered, looking at my hands in my lap.

I started slowly, "There was a boy in the beginning. He wanted to go outside, but knew he shouldn't. He went anyway. He was so small, such a young thing, of course he wanted to go play outside. He kept thinking about how everything was too big. His bed, the halls, the kitchen, the house. He was so happy to be outside, to run in the grass. He ran all the way up a hill, and found a Poppy Field on the other side. He was so amazed.. he kept calling it the red sea. The red sea. The red sea," I was losing my composure, and the tired feeling was replace with dread, "And then the field changed.. and the boy disappeared.

"There were people everywhere... and they were fighting. They were dying. And there was so much blood. There were people I know, and they were dying. And then I was saying something, something I wasn't trying to say, I just said it. I only remember part of it." I was breathing hard and crying again, sobbing. I didn't want to remember.

"So we may live," I sobbed.

I pulled my knees up and held them, I absentmindedly realized I wasn't wearing any socks or shoes.

"Evan.." It was a distant sound.

"Evan?!" It got closer.

'Draco.' I thought, and felt myself whisper. I looked up to the door of the office and saw it flung open, Draco standing on the other side. His clothes were still wrinkled, and his hair still mused, but his face was full of worry. I put down my legs, about to go over to him, but in a few strides he was already in front of me. His hands came up and brushed the wetness from my face.

"They aren't dead, right Draco? It was just a bad dream, right?" I asked, more tears pouring from my eyes, and grabbing his forearms, pulling on his shirt.

"No one is dead Evan. It's okay. Everyone's okay," he's said quietly.

I slowly shook my head in agreement.

The moment was broken by a happy tone, "Not dead yet anyway."

My eyes widened at the thought, and I saw Draco turn his head, glaring at the Professor who had a simple smile on his face.

"I'm afraid this isn't as easy as it being a bad dream Ms. Prince."

"What do you mean," Draco asked, a growl being held at bay.

Dumbledore turned to Draco, "I mean, she saw the past, and the future. Ms. Prince seems to be a very rare person. A metamorphagus and a seer on top of it, how curious a thing."

Draco stepped towards the Professor with a dark look on his face. I grabbed his wrist and stared at the Professor.

"What do you mean."

"Exactly what I said is what I mean Ms. Prince."

"So those people, they're going to die. Is that what you're saying?"

"Not exactly, maybe I should explain a bit."

"Maybe you should," Draco affirmed with venom.

"Very well. Seers are extremely rare, just about as rare as a metamorphagus, and we don't know too much about them, but they can prophecies the future. Some have been known to see major world events and others, smaller life changing ones. Some get visions once or twice in their life time, and others have them much more frequently.

"It's incredible that Ms. Prince even exists, the odds are astronomical."

"Whoa. Rewind a minute. . Go back to the part where I asked if the people I saw were going to die or not," I was starting to get frustrated.

"A prophecy isn't likely to change. You must keep in mind that you don't know what happened to cause those events, or what the outcome of it will be. Seeing the future is a tricky business, that's why the ministry monitors all the known seers, to some degree. And their prophecies are recorded and kept locked away.

"I must ask that we keep this new information to ourselves. From what Ms. Prince has seen, I think we can assume that a war is to occur in our future. It would be in your best interest to not let anyone know about this, I advise you not to tell a soul Ms. Prince, for your own safety," his voice became very grim.

I shook my head slowly in agreement, feeling empty again, then he turned to Draco.

"I expect you know the consequences that lay on her head if this were to get out to a certain group.."

Draco looked grim too, and sounded very angry, "Yes. Yes I do."

Dumbledore's demeanor changed after that to a happy content feeling. "Well, I suppose that will be all for now. Do feel free to come and ask me questions about anything at all, and do let me know if you see anything else Ms. Prince." At that he all at once stood, and left the room with the billowing of his robes trailing behind him as his only goodbye.

Draco watched with intent as Dumbledore left the room, his hatred bursting at the seams until they popped.

"How dare he come in here and be all jolly while you sit here suffering, like he hasn't a care in the world! And we have him to call Headmaster! Telling me things I already fully understand, not like I had been agonizing over those facts for three years!" he yelled at the door with fury.

I flinched at the noise slightly, but I understood why he was upset. I don't understand why the Professor would act so unkind and uncaring, even though I knew him to be none of those things. It felt like he dropped a cinder block on me while he smiled down from his unseen, unreachable perch. I felt like I should be angry as well, and I was, but the panic rising in me held at bay any other emotion that I might have had.

I heard Draco yelling at the door, but I had no idea what he said. I noticed that my breathing was harsh, and had a distant thought to calm down that was swallowed with the tide. I felt my hands in my hair, and my knees against my chest, but took no notice of them. The over whelming urge to run, or to hide, to do something but not being able to, was overwhelming. The silence in the room was a deafening roar in my ears; it was a silence that yelled and screamed in anger, demanding to be known.

My thoughts were frantic, _'What do I do, they're going to die, what do I do. Can't breath, can't breath, I can't breath. I need to go, run - hide - run. But I can't breath, I can't move.'_

I felt hands on the sides of my face and screamed. _Don't touch me, I can't breath._ I pulled back in a frenzy, not seeing who was there, not even looking. I was crying hard, and probably had been for awhile, my breathing was ragged and felt impossible to regain.

I felt hands around me again, too quick to react to; they wrapped around my waist and hoisted me from the chair, making me stand. I thrashed and clawed, but one of the arms encircled me entirely, holding mine to my sides. When I still thrashed about a hand appeared and held my head to the person's chest. My ear was to them and for awhile longer I still wriggled, trying to be freed, but there was a distracting noise in the silence.

A steady beat that had stilled me, still tense, I focused on it. It was rhythmatic, it was soothing and familiar. Once I started to relax, the hand holding my head stroked my hair, fingers combing through it. My breathing became more paced, even as I struggled to regain myself, and my legs became jelly. The person holding me quickly had us sitting, me in his lap, he didn't let go and kept my head where it was and his hand in my hair.

My ears were no longer filled with maddening silence, replaced instead with a calm, leveled beat. My thoughts returned to me, if not a little jumbled; I thought it was Draco who was holding me. I tried looking up at him and found my eyelids resistant, I only managed a slight peek of his face to confirm the thought before my eyes closed again.

I wanted to get up, hug him, and tell him not to worry - I was fine. But my limbs felt heavy, and so very tired. My breathing slowed and before I knew it, I was asleep, the sound of a heart beat and the smell of winter holding me up from drowning in a sea of silence.

 **Draco**

I hadn't meant to lose my temper in front of her really, but the idiot of a Headmaster had torn down my patience that had already been crumbling. I had just stopped yelling at the door, exasperated, when I turned to Evan for the second shock of the day. She was freaking out, a panic attack.

She sat in her chair, curled in on herself, hand gripping hair that had turned to a dead looking blue, staring intently at the floor, and mumbling. She started to hyperventilate and then she added crying to the mix. She'd make herself faint if she kept it up. I walked over to her, calling her name, but she heard nothing. It felt like deja vu, but I pushed past the thought.

I tried putting a hand to her face, but she screamed and recoiled as if my hands were hot coals. She began to breath harder, I probably should have ran to find Madam Pomfrey, but the thought hadn't come to me. So instead I hoisted Evan to her feet. She put up a mean fight, screaming about silence. I held her arms so she wouldn't hurt herself with all her wild movements, but she didn't give up the fight. I held her head to my chest and tightened my grasp around her, further restricting her movement.

It was like waiting for a child to finish a tantrum and tire itself out. Though I knew this wasn't exactly the same, Evan was really freaked, but hurting herself and having a complete break down would do nothing to help her.

Her legs gave beneath her so I turned us and sat down in the chair she had just been in, pulling her legs up so she sat closer to me. Her hand was clenched in my school shirt and she tucked herself close to me. She stayed tense, though not as badly as before, and looked up at me sleepily. Then closed her eyes, nuzzling her nose into me, taking a deep breath, and falling asleep.

Her breathing had subsided into a deep even pace and I felt the tension in my own shoulders release as her hair returned to it's normal white-gold color. Today must have been very draining for her, prophesying the future, being told you're a seer, watching your friends die and being told it would come to fruition. The thought still angered me; the carelessness of that man had sent little Evangeline, the small girl with the too-big-heart, into a panic attack.

He was more than careless, that was intentional, and he had been pressing her. The thought made me sick with rage. The all so very caring wise man had pressed her into a panic attack with the hope that she would have another vision.

I felt myself growl, deep in my chest. I hadn't realized I could make such a sound, but at the vibrations Evan pulled in closer to me - if that were even possible.

I then realized that if the wrong people did find out that she was a seer then she would be put through much more than a panic attack spurred on by an old man. And I am very close to such people, could call myself one if I wanted to. And she was so close that I could feel her heart beat through my own chest. I really should have stayed away, shouldn't have talked to her, should have pushed her as far away as I could even if it meant she would get some scrapes and bruises.

But that had proved futile. Ever time I pushed and she fell, she just stood back up and calmly walked back up to me, even though I always pushed her, again and again.

...

It was second year, and I'd been walking to dinner with the regular creeps that followed me around.

Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Knott, and Blaise.

We just walked into the Great Hall, they were talking about some 'annoying girl' who 'thought she was better than me just because she's was so NICE'."

I ran into the one face that I always hoped to avoid, and she looked up ready to apologize when she saw who she had ran into and went wide-eyed. My friends stood behind me and couldn't see my face, which had taken on a stern look, instead of my usual sneer. She looked even smaller back then, and I ache at the memory of what came next.

Since I made no immediate move, Pansy took the lead stepping up and pushing Evan's shoulder, putting distance between us.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pansy had hissed.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you Draco," she turned to me to apologize. This enraged Pansy who expected to be addressed properly.

"How dare you talk to him! All you are is abandoned rubbish! Your parents didn't want you, what makes you think anyone here wants you either! Get. Lost." Pansy went straight for the kill, following up her hissed words with a sharp slap to the face. Evan didn't move an inch, but eventually turned her head towards Pansy.

All she did was smile and somehow replied airily with a heavy sadness behind it, "Sorry. I hadn't realized I was so in the way," and walked passed us, back to doing what ever she meant to before we stopped her.

The group felt heavy. Well, everyone except Pansy who was still pissed and expected her entourage to feel indignant on her behalf. But we weren't, we halfheartedly supported her but excused ourselves, no longer hungry.

We split up and I went towards the kitchens, finding Evan with Crabbe and Goyle, wondering if this would be trouble.

But I saw them apologizing to her, practically crying and saying they were very sorry. She forgave them and pulled out two muffins from her bag, handing them to the two boys and she was on her way. I followed her, I felt like a creep, but I also felt compelled.

She ran into Blaise next, who also apologized vehemently, and she also forgave him. The same thing happened with Nott in the Library. Except she called him Theo, and they sat in the library talking about assignments and have-to-reads they'd found.

She was friends with a Slytherin. He's a pureblood Slytherin, and she didn't know what blood she had, and they were friends.

...

I felt extremely foolish for my thoughts, still felt ashamed when I had them even now. When I'd get angry and call someone a Mudblood, or when I actually felt like I was better because I'm a pureblood. Such thoughts had been ingrained in me since I was born, it wasn't an easy thing to break, and I had only been trying to stop recently.

I looked down at Evan, with my school shirt twisted in her small hand and her long hair mused and her soft breathing. She was the kindest person I had ever met and even now, like when I first met her, wondered why she was in Gryffindor..

If I couldn't keep her safe by staying away, then I'd have to keep her close to keep her safe.

If father ever found out.. I didn't want to think about what would happen to Evan.

So I won't let her go. I'll keep her safe. I'll keep her happy.

Those were my thoughts as I ran my fingers through her hair, again and again, mesmerized by the shifting colors that popped through the blonde every few strokes of my hand.

 **Author's Note:**

If you didn't know, this would be an anxiety attack. This is fictional writing, keep in mind, and if someone you know is having an anxiety/panic attack it is **not** **recommended in the least** to do as Draco did, alright? Someone who is too stuck in their head is going to lash out at whoever try's to hold them.

The best you can do for them is to not make them feel more trapped; be in a quiet place. Don't touch or hold them, just talk to them while they try to calm down, ask about what they need. Don't belittle what's happening, don't tell them they're overreacting, don't tell them to just get over it. Oh my god, if you do you're the worst kind of person.

"What you are feeling is scary, but it's not dangerous," is okay, just remember to talk in short easy sentences. Attacks vary in time, some last 10 minutes, some an hour; just stay calm for them.

These things are serious, and are very real to the person it's happening to. Thought I might educate a bit, after I realized I never addressed this.


	24. Chapter 24

When I awoke next I wasn't in any rush to get up. It was that moment when you know you should probably get up, but you aren't fully awake yet so you roll over and go back to sleep; the comforting nothingness too sweet and tempting to give up.

So I snuggled myself deeper into the warmth around me, a warmness that reminded me of winter.

It wasn't until after doing so I realized that what I was snuggling was a person; it was a confusing thought.

I looked up slightly to find a sleeping Draco, head leaning against mine, arms wrapped tightly around me, and breathing softly.

When did this happen?

I tried to recall the memory, but I was tired and distracted by his face so close to mine, and so soft while he slept; unlike his usually stiff face, masked with a sneer, a glare, or pure indifference.

The reason we were in such a position escaped me as I still tried to decide whether or not I was going back to sleep.

My eyelids felt heavy, and a quick look out a small window near by showed it to still be late, or maybe really early.

The warmness was tempting me as well as the sweet sleep and the smell of peppermint. I was drifting off without a conscious thought to put to it.

I dreamed of the small boy in the the sea of red. He took his flower home, and snuck up to his room. He pressed the flower into one of the many large books on his bookshelves and stuffed it back on the shelf. A maid came in and scolded him for the grass stains on his shorts and made him change. He was so sad, but the thought of his secret flower helped make him feel a little better.

He'd sneak out of bed at night and look at it, and wonder if he could go to the sea again. But he never goes, he never has time, there's always someone there watching him. Eventually he forgets it's even there, and he forgets he still has the flower, and he forgets to be a little boy.

I wake up again to sunlight streaming through a window and a warmness still ever present. I look up blearily to a still sleeping Draco, and wondered at how he could sleep in such a position; it couldn't be very comfortable.

Then he moved, and I woke up pretty quickly. He stretched, the kind where you curl in on yourself tightly, and I was squished between his chest and arms until he relaxed his muscles. He sighed and opened his eyes, sleepily looking down at me.

"Good morning," I whispered.

"Hmm? Oh. Uhh.. morning?" He was answering my greeting, but it was definitely more of a question than anything.

We had a quiet inquisitive moment to ourselves and then there was a knock at the door. We broke our staring contest and looked over to find a cheerful Madam Pomfrey.

"Morning, time to wake up darlings!"

 **Draco**

I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep; originally, I thought to move her to one of the beds, but every time I moved she stirred and I didn't want to wake her. I ended up sitting there until I fell asleep myself, and I woke up next to a curious looking Evangeline. She seemed to have been staring before hand and was startled to be caught; her eyes flashed pink in surprise, like she was blushing with her eyes.

Feelings aren't exactly a thing I openly admit to myself, they tend to be a thing I ignore and never look at. So it was hard to know what the pulling in my chest was. I was about to actually put thoughts to the feeling when there was a knock at the door.

Madam Pomfrey's head popped in, "Morning! Time to wake up darlings," and she popped back out.

There was a moment of silence and then Evan started to giggle.

I looked down at her questioningly.

"Sorry," she said between laughs, "It just feels rather silly to be woken up by the nurse because we were sleeping in her office."

I smiled down at her, she was just way too cute in the mornings, it was very unfair.

Her eye's flashed gray, "Oh, I had a dream. I dreamed about that boy, the boy in my vision.."

My brows furrowed at her, "A boy?"

She seemed hesitant to answer, but did so gradually.

"Well, you see, the beginning of my vision was about a little boy.. and I had a dream about him just now... I think it was you. When you were little. I feel bad, they were your memories and it feels like I took something that wasn't mine.."

I felt very inquisitive, and kind of panicky; if she saw my memories, then what had she seen?

"How do you know it was me?"

"He kind of looked like you, but he felt more like you than anything."

"Felt like me?"

"Yeah.. his everything feels like your everything. Sorry, that's a really bad explanation."

"Okay, so if what you saw was one of my memories, then do you mind telling me what you saw?"

"You aren't upset?" 

"No.. curious, maybe a little worried, but mainly curious."

"Okay.. It was of when you snuck out of the house and found the Poppy field behind a hill.."

"Alright, only slightly embarrassing."

"No, no! It was great! You were so amazed and you kept calling it the red sea, you were so happy! I never see you that happy.. except.."

"Except?"

"When you smiled.. when you smiled at the baby Thestrals."

"So it triggered a specific memory. Good, learned something new."

She smiled softly up at me, she seemed genuinely happy at the news. I reminded her we should probably leave soon before Madam Pomfrey comes back to drag us out.

We didn't mention the closeness, it felt kind of natural, like we'd done it a thousand times, it was normal.

We got up and she stretched, her tiny self reaching for the sky, bending slightly to the right, and her left leg pulled to the side as she pointed her foot, stretching everything from her fingers to her toes.

I hadn't realized I was staring, I just found her interesting, everything I learned and saw her do in her own way was like a fresh breath of air; so different from the stagnant feeling of my usual self, it was the most refreshing thing I'd discovered in a very long time.

She noticed my staring before I did, and she looked at my quizzically, just wondering what I was up to. Most girls I knew would either get flustered or angry if I stared, like it was implied that I was being a nob, and maybe sometimes I was but this was different. It wasn't even sexually, she was my breath a fresh air, she was necessary. I didn't even question it, she was necessary. I needed her, and I hadn't even realized it until now, it just made sense.

"Hellooo, anyone in there?" she said smiling while looking up at me, she was a lot closer now, but I didn't even flinch.

I quickly pulled her to me and hugged her, burying my face between her neck and shoulder.

She put her hands gently around me and whispered, "Are you really upset that I saw your memories..?"

"Nah.." I mumbled.

She moved her hands to my back and gently and slowly scratched it with the tips of her fingers.

"Something wrong," she breezily asked.

I hummed my appreciation for her rubbing my back, it sent nice chills up and down my skin.

"No," I replied, and I meant it; at least for now, everything was fine.

She squeezed me tight then with her small arms, "Okay," she whispered and I squeezed back.

It was nice, the closeness was nice. It was unlike anything I knew. The only person I was remotely close to was my Mother, and this was nothing like when Mom hugged me. It was a different kind of nice, one I wasn't willing to let go of anytime soon.

We stood there a while before I sighed and remembered one Madam Pomfrey who was probably waiting for us to leave her office and meet her outside in the healing ward.

So we broke apart and Evan followed me out to meet with our nurse.

"Well, well. Took you long enough. I'll just give you both a check up before I send you on your way."

We sat on the same bed and waited while Madam Pomfrey retrieved her tools of death. Some might call them healing instruments, but anyone who had gotten hurt at school, like someone on the Quidditch team, would know better.

She came over with a tray which held an assortment of vials. Some held a murky green, or a repugnant yellow, but all were very small and she had two cups of water, all of which I was grateful for.

Evan sat beside me, unaware of the atrocities the small vials could hold.

She set the tray on the side table near us and pulled out her wand. She waved it over Evan quickly in an untraceable pattern and when she seemed satisfied she moved on to me and repeated the process. Even though there wasn't anything wrong with me, there was no way I was going to argue with her.

She finished up and nodded her head once sharply in satisfaction following the motion up by turning to the tray. She picked up two vials, both containing the murky green liquid, and handed one to each of us.

"Drink up."

"What's it for?" Evan questioned curiously, looking at the contents through the light that shined through the windows.

"It's to restore your energy, and it's just generally healthy dear."

"Like a vitamin?"

"Vitamin? Oh, those muggle supplements; yes, yes, much like that."

Evan nodded her head slowly in understanding and in two quick motions, unplugged the vial and downed it.

"..."

"..."

"...It's not that bad..."

"..."

"Never mind.. the flavor changed, it's horrible.."

She looked up at me with watery eyes, and disgust written across her face; I couldn't help the burst of laughter that followed.

"What? What's so funny? My misery is laughable, huh?"

The laughter escaped me even as I tried to hold it back; even Madam Pomfrey looked amused.

She just pouted and gratefully took a glass of water that the nurse handed over to her.

I quickly took my portion of the brewed death and followed it up with the glass of water, barely leaving any torture left for my tongue to suffer through.

 **Author's Note:**

I hadn't even realized it'd been over a week since I updated this story. I had the chapter mostly written, but couldn't seem to finish it. Sorry for the wait is what I'm trying to say. But other than that, how do you like all this mush so far? Most of this chapter is in Draco's perspective, so you get all his thoughts.

I really like writing cute, squishy things. But for your unlucky hearts, I thought I might try some heart break! I don't know when that will be, but I'll make sure it pops up out of no where to play a bad banjo tune on your heart strings. (That was a very bad metaphor, I apologize deeply, but I'm gonna say it anyway.) I can tell you that the next chapter will start back with Evan's perspective. Leave a review if you have words to say!

P.s. Oh my god did anyone notice that I switched into 3rd person at the end of the last chapter. I wrote it at 4 a.m. and was like 'fuck it' and uploaded it. I will fix it, so sorry cx


	25. Chapter 25

Madam Pomfrey told us that we didn't have to go to our morning class, only the afternoon ones, so we could take some time to recover. I was sure glad of it too; I wasn't even mentally prepared to face my friends. Everyone would wonder where I'd been and why I hadn't come back to the dorms last night. Hermione would be worried, along with everyone else; they were sure to have noticed I wasn't there.

What was I suppose to tell them. That I ran off into the Forbidden Forest? With a student from our rival house? A student that most of my friends held at arch nemesis status and despised without restraint? And we went on this little field trip together to pet the Thestrals that I only talk to Hagrid about? Oh. Yeah. On top of that, I had a vision of not only the past, but the future; a future that isn't so pretty.

Not to even mention the fact that I had a break down, and then promptly fell asleep in Draco's, the rival and nemesis', lap where I stayed all night.

What?! WHAT.

There was no way I was anywhere near ready to unload all that onto anyone. Plus, Professor Dumbledore said I shouldn't tell people, to keep me safe? He wasn't telling me everything; the regular cheery Professor felt a bit sketchy at the moment, it made me uneasy.

The sudden rush of thoughts ceased as we left the infirmary and stepped into the quiet halls of the castle.

I felt very heavy at the thought of all the secrets I was to keep for now.

"You okay, Evan?"

"Huh, oh, yeah. I was just thinking about what I'd say to my friends.."

He frowned down at me, "Right. I should probably think of something to say to mine as well. We could say it was a detention. I could get Snape to say he'd given us one for something or other?"

"All night?"

"Right.. fell asleep while writing lines?"

"What did we do so bad that we had to stay up so late that we'd fall asleep," I asked, faking innocence.

"Ran in the halls?" I prompted.

"Nope."

"Talked back to a teacher?"

"Maybe.."

"Got caught putting a Canary Cream on a teachers desk?"

"Canary Cream?"

"I told you about them on the train, I think?"

"Yeah, but you didn't say what they did."

"It's in the name; Canary Creams turn you into a Canary," I told him with a Cheshire grin.

I might have been super proud that I had helped the twins with that invention. They got the idea and put some trial candies together. Of course the measurements were off, sometimes the candies would turn you into a bird for hours instead of a few minutes, or you wouldn't turn into a Canary but a Canary cat hybrid. I still don't know what they added to the mix to pull that one off.

All I did was give them the correct measurements of this or that so whoever ate them would become a proper Canary and it would only last about 4-8 minutes. The twins are really good at potions, but it helps to have a second set of eyes, or in their case, three sets. They got a finished product a month before they were originally planning on finishing it, just in time for school, and I got my hands on a recipe that was otherwise top secret.

"You think us trying to turn Snape into a bird would get us in enough trouble? We could say that you walked into the room while I set the trap and Snape dragged you into it. Just so neither of us get questioned about why we were in detention for the same reason."

"I was going to suggest that we were caught snogging in the halls, but I think your idea's better."

I felt my face turn red, and punched him in the arm. "You aren't very funny, " I told him and stuck my tongue out at him.

"Oh, really. I think I'm hilarious," he told me grinning slyly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Not even a little bit," I huffed.

"I could make you laugh," he declared.

I tittered back, "Nope. I refuse."

"Refuse to laugh? I could still do it."

"Nope."

"Wanna see me try?" 

"..."

There was a pause where we stood very still, and everything was quiet. Then I made a mad dash down the hall, and Draco followed.

By the time I made it to the astronomy tower I was out of breath, but grinning like mad. I got into the big room at the top of the tower, it was currently empty, and turned to see Draco right behind me.

"So.." He barely looked out of breath and also like the cat about to catch the mouse.

Too bad I felt like the cat teasing the family dog.

"So.." I copied him.

"Think I can't make you laugh.?"

"Know it."

"Why's that."

"Because you'll be too busy."

He raised a quizzical eyebrow at me, "With what?"

"With this," I told him then I whispered the tickle jinx and he collapsed on the floor in a fit of laughter.

I hopped across the room and bowed over him to ask, "Give up?"

He shook his head no and continued to laugh and writhe on the floor. I waited a bit before asking again, "Give up yet?"

He simply shook his head yes, and I whispered the counter-curse.

He lay there, out of breath, and looking up at me a little bit like he was confused.

"You can do spells without your wand?"

"Some simple ones yeah."

"That's.. kind of amazing."

"Was that a compliment from The Great Draco Malfoy?"

"The world will never know."

We laughed at how cheesy we were being and got up, heading for the cafeteria. It was still pretty early, like 6 a.m. ish? So not many people would be there, but we took our time and walked slowly.

"So we're going with the Canary Creams?" he asked.

"Yeah, just makes sure Professor Snape is okay with saying we were there for detention. I should talk to him about the last name thing you mentioned. I'll ask after potions this afternoon."

"You have potions this afternoon? I do too, what a coincidence," he taunted me and bumped into my shoulder.

"Yay," I said none too enthusiastically, "More time where I don't get to speak to you even though you're only a couple feet away."

"It's not something we can just say. Both of our friends would start a war, plus, if my father found out..." He seemed to drift off for a moment.

"Wanna talk about it..?"

"Huh, oh.. well not really. Not right now.." 

"Okay.." I smiled up at him, trying for reassuring.

"It would be pretty bad if he found out, okay? So for now we can't say anything."

"I get it. Just remember that you can tell me stuff."

"I don't want you to freak out or worry about it."

"I promise to only freak out minimally whenever you do."

He laughed at that; I was pretty proud to make that happen without a jinx.

We eventually got to the cafeteria, and I peeked in to find a few Ravenclaw students and a few professors there.

"There's practically no one. I could run and grab a few things? We could eat in the library?" I suggested.

"Okay sure, only if you promise to get me a chocolate muffin."

"You like chocolate?"

"Just go already and get me one." He seemed to be salivating at the thought.

I giggled as I jogged into the hall to grab us some food. I loaded my school bag, which I miraculously still had, with food.

I tossed in two blueberry muffins and two chocolate ones, I stole a plate and piled on a lot of bacon and scrambled eggs and set it to my left. Then I stole another plate and tossed 2 waffles on it, drenched it in butter, then drenched it in syrup. I put two forks on the plates and poured two glasses of orange juice.

I quickly looked around the room to find one curious looking Ravenclaw, but no one paid me any heed. So I cast a transfiguration spell on each of the glasses, turning them into plastic bottles. Pleased, I stuffed them into my bag as well.

I turned to the plates and swish and flicked so they levitated behind me as I left the hall.

Once I got through the door Draco turned to me, "Took you long enough," he stopped and looked at the plates, "Are we feeding an army," he joked, looking at me bemusedly.

"What? All that future stuff really gives me an appetite."

He laughed and we walked towards the library. I decided along the way that we would go sit in one of the big arch windows in a deserted hallway instead. The one I picked was overlooking the lake.

We sat down and I sat the plates between us. I pulled out the bottles of orange juice and Draco seemed only slightly impressed; then I pulled out the two blueberry muffins and he frowned, his face saying 'Don't play with my emotions, I know what you are doing'.

So I pulled out the two chocolate ones and tossed them at him, which he caught very quickly and stuffed the one in his right hand into his face.

I was already laughing, but I was doubled over when he moaned in delight.

Eventually we both calmed down and dug in. Turns out we were both pretty hungry so I was very glad to have brought as much as I did.

We eventually finished our gorging and laid against the brick wall.

"I could sleep for a month," I murmured.

"A year."

"Yeahh, a year.."

"Hmmm.."

We sat in the sun and enjoyed the quiet.

"Should probably go talk to Snape before the class gets there," he mentioned.

"Yeah, but class isn't until after lunch; what should we do until then?"

"Could talk to our friends?"

"Uhhhggggg."

"Not that then," he laughed.

"Could go see Hagrid?" I offered.

"Hmm.." He didn't seem really pleased at the idea.

"Walk around the lake?" I supplied.

"Hmm, okay, yeah. Let's do that."

"Okay... after a few more minutes of sitting here."

He followed my murmured reply with a chuckle and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes. He seemed so much more at easy the last day I'd been with him, and I really hoped it would last.

 **Author's Note:**

Wow, I need to stop finishing these up so late at night. But here is a chapter nonetheless, and I feel like this is a filler chapter? The next one is kind of the same, I hope to get to the real stuffs soon. But for now you can have this. I've started to read this in a Scottish accent so I'm going to sleep now lads.


	26. Chapter 26

We walked around the lake and talked about all sorts of odd things. From why we thought squirrels had puffy tails to how magic works.

"So how do you do wandless magic?" Draco asked, skipping a stone across the water.

"I haven't really thought about it.."

"Well think about it then," he laughed.

"Hmm.."

There was a moment of silence while I figured out my thoughts.

"It's kind of like... I can feel my magic; it's warm and - and like the sun. Like when you lay out in the sun and it makes your skin warm. But, I feel it in my chest mostly.. and when I cast a spell with my wand I can feel it. Your wand channels your magic, right, and I can feel that happen.

"I can feel the warmth circle in my chest and.. and move throughout my arm and out my wand. The warmth never leaves; kind of like filling a bathtub and unplugging the drain to cast a spell, but the faucet is running if the bathtub is emptying. So it's always full, always there. I find that I can feel it there even when I'm not casting a spell, well, if I focus on it.

"Anyway.. I can replicate the feeling of casting a spell with my wand and do it without it. But the spells are never as strong without a wand. I am still working on that."

Draco didn't stop me once to ask questions, which was good because I would have probably lost track of what I was talking about. After I was done with the explanation I looked up to my left to find Draco looking at me like he was a muggle and he'd just caught me transfiguring a pig into a swan. Which translated to a blank/confused/amazed stare.

"What? I got that not a lot of people do wandless magic, but is it that weird," I asked worriedly.

"No.. no, wandless magic isn't too common, and no one has ever explained to me how they do it. It's amazing Evan. Dumbledore was right in saying that you should be impossible," he told me in awe.

The rapt attention kind of made me uncomfortable, like I was the black unicorn he just discovered in the wilderness.

But since it was just Draco I didn't mind too much, it definitely made me blush, but it was a look I could live with.

Live with?

After our walk we went back to the castle, it was before lunch and we set off to the dungeons to talk to Professor Snape.

I was nervous; Draco seemed pretty sure that Snape would be fine with saying we were in detention, so I wasn't worried about that too much. But I was planning on asking about my last name. I really haven't any clue about my family besides what Professor Dumbledore told me years ago when he invited me to Hogwarts.

So as we stepped into the halls of the dungeons and made our way to the potions classroom door, I felt my heart beat in my ears.

We stopped in front of the intimidating door and I held back my nerves as Draco opened it.

The hulking thing swung open smoothly and only creaked as it came to a rest.

Snape sat at his desk at the back of the room, looking over this or that paper; he looked up after the sound of the creak.

"Draco and.. Evangeline.."

"Hey Professor," Draco greeted calmly as he walked in, but he got straight to the point, "mind saying we were in detention last night for putting a prank candy on your desk?

"...I do not, if you do not mind telling me where you two were last night.."

"Well... No where in particular.." Draco supplied pretty calmly, better than I would have.

"Never mind," he dismissed, "I know what happened; just making sure you were planning on keeping it a secret," Snape drawled as he looked back down at the papers he had been looking through before.

"It is a very odd occurrence, but I find it acceptable that you thought to cover your tracks with your friends about your honest whereabouts," he drawled slowly.

"I will let anyone who asks know that you two were washing cauldrons and writing lines late, and fell asleep?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright then, anything else?"

To most people it would sound supremely grumpy, and like he was trying to get rid of us. Hell, I almost miss it myself each time, but he was honestly asking if we needed anything.

I spoke for the first time since entering the room, "Yeah.. I actually have a question, I was wondering if you could answer it."

He looked up, waiting for the question.

"W-well, you see, Draco mentioned recently that, uhh, you're family had.. had the Prince name. So I was just wondering if you'd have any idea why my last name was the same..." My voice just kept getting smaller as I talked, ending in a whispered squeak. I was so nervous, my heart was beating out of control and I think my hands started to sweat.

"Hmmm," he hummed, and my hands really started to sweat.

"We are probably related in some way Ms. Prince. But in what way, I haven't the slightest clue."

I felt kind of tired just then, my shoulders lost their tension and fell.

Professor Snape looked away quickly, but I caught an certain expression in his eyes. Only his eyes; pain and guilt that he didn't mean for me to see.

And then I was being pulled into my own head, to see something else that wasn't mine.

It was dark outside, and the moon was only a sliver of light, only able to cast shadows; it would not light the way. He was walking through an alley way, it was too dark, and the ground was wet. I couldn't see his face, but he was carrying something in both his arms, closely and carefully to himself. He walked certainly to a spot by a window in the dank alley, and surely stood fast. He stayed very still and looked down at the something in his arms, inspecting it intently with a pinched look to his face. I could feel the twinge in his heart as a thought past through his head.

And then someone was walking into the alley from the same way he had come; it was a woman. She walked up carefully and stopped beside him, and both stared at the wall opposite themselves.

He didn't look at her, but the new person finally spoke up, even without the recognition, "We can't stand here forever," said a woman, with sad finality.

He didn't move a hair, and kept his eyes trained ahead. The woman sighed and took a couple steps as to stand in front of him, but he looked passed her.

"Lumos," she murmured and the tip of a wand gave light to the surroundings.

A younger looking Snape, though he still held his stern grimace, stood firmly and barely shifted his glance to the plump homely woman in front of him.

The something in his arms was a bundle, a bundle that squirmed at the light.

Snape looked down at the bundle, and stuck his finger out to a small hand that held to him tightly. His eyes almost softened, but became cold a second later, even as he stared at the small hand.

The woman leaned forward, and looked inside the small bundle to find a similarly small baby.

"So this is her. Sure you aren't going to get caught, Severus? I am no unkind human, but is she worth risking your position? Have you even asked Dumbledore about this matter?" the woman worried at Severus.

His cold eyes became almost fierce, and he told her with restrained anger, "You have no.. no idea."

The woman sighed, "Fine, fine. I won't ask too many questions, just, anything I should know?"

He shifted the baby's face towards the woman and the light, and softly pinched her round cheek. The small, soft patch of hair on her head turned from a pale blonde to a light pink as she giggle at the action.

The plump woman gasped, "No," she said disbelieving, "how am I suppose to deal with that!"

"You will. You have to," he told her with stern finality.

She sighed again, and with a pinched face she tucked her wand away and proceeded to hold out her arms, waiting.

Snape looked down at the bundle again, shivered, and slowly handed the child over; he looked at the ground the whole time.

She took her, cooed at her softly and asked quietly, "Anything else?"

Snape waited a long minute to answer, and the woman looked on with interest.

"Her last name..."

"Hmm," she accented lowly, not sure if she'd like the answer.

"Is Prince. Evangeline. Ann. Prince."

The woman stared wide-eyed and blankly at him, and seemingly stopped breathing.

"No."

"Yes."

"She can't be."

"She is. Her mother named her, so I'd like her to keep it. That is all, I have to get back before someone notices."

The woman fumbled for her words, "But- but I, what.."

Snape took one last prolonged breath and left the alley.

And as the woman looked down at the child, everything went black.

 **Author's Note:**

So I burnt my finger on the stove like a horrible idiot, and I've been sat here with it sitting in a cup of ice water while I use my other hand to edit this story. Let me tell you that this was really time consuming, but here you are anyway, rejoice.

Happy spoopy season. I am working on a one-shot Halloween chapter for Evan, I hope to get it to you guys in time, but it might be a day late. I apologize before hand for my maybe lateness.

I will also remind you, I am literally writing this as I am going so I am sorry for the sloppiness of it all. Let me know what you think anyway if you have anything to think on it at all. Thanks to all who have recently followed my story, hope you don't hate it later on. Bye bye for now.


	27. Chapter 27

I woke with a start, it felt like I had been drowning, and I was just getting my first breath of actual air. I gasped and sat forward coughing, it really felt like I might throw up a lung full of water.

I didn't, but the air was still coarse in my lungs, and someone was suddenly close to me, rubbing a hand against my back. I would have jumped away if I wasn't struggling so much to breath, but eventually I did begin to breath more normally.

I looked up to find Draco next to me, eyes furrowed and mouth almost pouting. He didn't look as panicked as last time, which was good; I would have thought it was cute if I wasn't so tired.

"What did you see Ms. Prince," Snape asked darkly.

I looked up weakly to find Draco shooting the Professor a look to say, 'What? Really? Right now? You want to ask that right fucking now?' A.K.A pissed and confused.

Snape barely spared him a glance, and kept his eyes steadily trained on me. It was kind of eerie, and I felt really compelled to tell him, it was about him after all and.. me? But I was tired, and it was hard to focus, it was even harder to stay awake. I could feel myself losing consciousness, and slumped against Draco before I could answer the Professor.

 **Draco**

She was only awake for maybe a minute before she slowly slipped back into unconsciousness, her head resting against my shoulder. I quickly wrapped my arm around her back so she didn't fall, and slowly laid her back down.

My gaze turned to Snape, and I was admittedly furious, what in the bloody fucking hell was that. She wakes up like she'd been choked to death, and the first thing he wants to ask about is what she saw?

"Draco, that temper of yours won't get you very far," Snape murmured absentmindedly while he stared at Evan.

I took a breath to steady myself a bit, but it didn't take away any degree of anger.

"What is this about, and why did you lie? I could see it, the look in your eyes; the same look that, for some bloody reason, triggered Evangeline to see something. Tell me."

Snape stood there a moment, and for a few seconds I wondered if he was going to ignore me.

But he didn't, "There will be.. trying times ahead. Ms. Prince saw it, others have seen it, it isn't hard to notice when the universe is screaming; if you just listen you hear it everywhere. There are plenty of secrets being kept, you even keep some yourself."

Great, now he's talking in riddles. I hate riddles. He sounds like Evan when she's being bloody vague. My temper was boiling in the back of my mind, but I really had to pay attention. If he wasn't just going to give me the answers, I'd have to look for them. I also hate scavenger hunts.

"I will make sure you both are excused from the afternoon classes, you can tell your little friends that the both of you fell slightly ill from sleeping in the class room. If you will excuse me, I have some business to attend to.."

He left the room, and left Evan and me alone in it. I was worried, what if she kept having visions this often. It would be hard to explain her fainting every day at breakfast. We wouldn't be able to cover it up, we'd have to register her as a seer by law under the ministry; we wouldn't be able to keep her a secret from..

We didn't have to go to classes today, and then it would be the weekend. I'd have to keep a close eye on her for the next few days, if she kept having visions we'd have to go to our seriously untrustworthy headmaster. I really didn't enjoy the thought, but they couldn't find out about her; things were complicated as is, they'd only get worse if people knew.

I waited for about a half an hour before she woke up again. She came to, still sleepy, but it was unlikely that she'd fall asleep again soon.

I helped her leave the dungeons, and we carefully made our way to Hagrid's hut. He was in the middle of a class, so Evan let us in.

She was more awake by the time we'd gotten there so she set to cleaning up a bit and making some tea. By the time she was done, Hagrid had come back, a little surprised to see us there, to see me there.

Evan went to explaining about what had happened in the past day, after telling me she trusted Hagrid, and it was a long story. The sun had dropped a few notches out of the sky, it was probably 3 or 4 in the afternoon when she finished talking.

He was very surprised, and very worried. It was a big deal to be a seer, a bigger deal to be one at the same standard as Evan. She was seeing some important things, that some rather powerful people would want to know about. I wasn't sure I was happy that one of those powerful people was Dumbledore.

We eventually left for dinner after she finished chatting with Hagrid and playing with his whimpy dog. Evan and I decided to split up before we got there.

"It's weird, I don't want to lie to my friends about.. everything," she murmured as we stood a few halls down from the Great Hall.

"You'll be able to tell them eventually. It's just not safe right now."

"What's not safe? No one wants to explain."

"We shouldn't talk about it here.."

"Then when, Draco, when should we talk about it?" 

She seemed really hopeless, I couldn't leave her that way. We shouldn't talk about this in the halls, someone might hear, but I couldn't leave her looking so lost.

I grabbed her hand and pulled her into a nearby closet, it was full of supplies and junk.

I got close to her ear and told her quietly, "There is probably going to be a war. And if the wrong side decides that you'd be useful, whether or not if you want to, they will take you. There are people in this world who lack more than just compassion, they lack a soul, and they will stop at nothing to win. We don't even know for sure what sides there will be because the war you saw hasn't begun yet. So for now," I took a step back and looked her in the eyes to convey my seriousness, "for now we keep it a secret, and we keep you safe."

She stared at me, her eyes furrowed slightly and her head slowly nodding her affirmation, I could see the wheels turning in her head. I told her to go into the hall first, I would wait a few minutes and follow. She nodded her head again, but before she left out the door, she turned back around and hugged me.

"Thank you for talking to me again Draco."

Her words were muffled in my shirt, but I heard her, and I hugged her back. I don't hug people very often, or at all. But it seems that I have been doing that more often, she's such a weird little person, it's hard not to.

 **Evangeline**

It was definitely a weird situation, the whole thing really, but I was thinking more about Draco than the Seer thing. Him and, well, the friends I had to lie to now.

Walking to the Gryffindor table felt like walking through a sludgy lagoon, and sitting down was the same as pulling out a knife while their backs were turned.

They asked where I'd been, and I explained quickly that I'd gotten a detention with Professor Snape. I made a small show of letting my hair turn hot pink in embarrassment, and then finished the story quickly with how I'd fallen asleep and woken up with an upset stomach. They seemed to take the information with ease until I slipped in the fact that I had detention with Draco Malfoy.

At least half the people around me flipped out, and the rest didn't look pleased in the least. Hermione had on a judging frown, Harry seemed to bottle his anger, Ron made a childish show, and the twins made at theatrical one.

But after things calmed down, we just slipped back into our regular routine. When we got back to the Gryffindor tower, everyone lent me their notes from class, a least the ones who took notes did.

That night in bed I had plenty to think about, like why Snape lied to me about knowing who I was, or who that woman in the vision is, or if Dumbledore was actually trying to help me, or was the war I saw still going to happen the way I saw it.

It would be odd to just go back to how it was before and act like nothing had changed. But I'd keep it a secret because I had to keep Draco safe; how was I suppose to do that if the future bad guys decided to kidnap me because I was a Seer. I had to keep him safe, because I watched him die in that battlefield, and I wouldn't watch it again.

 **Author's Note:**

Okay. I'm sorry. I've decided to make the Halloween one-shot an official chapter, I don't know the meaning of restraint apparently.

I know this chapter is a bit short, but I hope it was satisfying nonetheless. I'll try to put in the Halloween chapter soon, maybe the next chapter? We'll see once I'm done writing it :P

Review if you like!

 _ActualEvangeline(Guest):_ Okay, hi hello, yes. That would also be one of my favorite lines, thanks cx

 _Diamond Moonstar:_ That's actually a good guess, it was Kelpie by the way. But noop, you are wrong. It's someone I barely mentioned in a beginning chapter :P


	28. Chapter 28: HALLOWEEN EVE

That next weekend I could feel Draco hovering around me. I understood of course, my visions weren't exactly convenient. Luckily, I didn't have anymore that weekend, or the next week, or the next month.

And for the past month, Draco and I kept our distance from each other. There weren't too many opportunities to say hello or ask how his day was going, but when ever I could I did.

It wasn't until Halloween Eve that anything too exciting happened. I hadn't planned on doing anything other than prank every person possible with the twins today. We would have done it on Halloween, but the twins had this thing about how Eve's were unlucky for everyone, except the ones who cause the mayhem; plus, they were picking champions for the Triwizard Tournament on Halloween night, and they didn't want to be out shined.

We had everything planned out, from every teacher, to the masses we called students.

There would be prank candies hidden in every candy bowl, a mass genocide of hair color would occur, and every sweet food would turn out to be sour, thanks to the fact that the house elves liked me quite a lot.

We'd be setting up prank bogarts in cupboards and dressers and drawers, and instead of taking the shape you most fear, it would be just one of the lesser things that gave someone a fright.

We'd be painting the halls in red and black and getting a few of our ghost residence to participate too.

It took awhile to set up, but once it was, most everything would run by itself or by someone else. It would happen all at once as well, and no one but us would see it coming. The twins and I would be heading off making house calls for a few teachers while it started.

I had personally learned, while we had been making the plans earlier that week, that the twins got savage with their imagination.

The pranks they had in mind went from harmless to humiliating to full blown homicide. It was a riot to listen to, but I tried to reel them back by suggesting we not get expelled or collect multiple life long enemies. They didn't seem too upset by these ideas, and it took a lot of persuading and hugs and being cute to even distract them from decapitating Snape this Holiday.

Our, now innocent-ish, plans involved me playing the innocent one. I would be distracting, deterring, and all around, being the bait to the twin's traps.

And by the end of the day, we'd turned Professor Sprouts flower garden into a pumpkin patch, Professor Snape's hair was in a style that looked similar to bat wing, and Professor McGonagall was a bit stuck in her cat form for a little while; Fred might have tied a bow to her tale while she wasn't looking.

And besides the teachers, the student were sporting green and orange hair colors; some of them had been cats for part of the day, and most sported the shared memories of mini heart attacks from fake bogarts.

To say the least, we had been working on this event for weeks, and it really paid off. We we're done pranking the teachers by lunch, and the rest would take care of itself; we didn't even have classes today, so we were left with a lot of extra time. The twins decided to bestow some personal pranks from the mischievous duo themselves unto a few unknowing friends, and I was thinking of grabbing a book and reading outside by the lake.

By the time I had retrieved a book from the library and got to the doors, I had run into Neville, who was definitely a victim of our Halloween pranking excursion. I could tell from the fear on his face... and the orange and green striped hair of course.

I laughed despite the fact that I was trying not to.

"Sorry, sorry I just, that would be my fault Neville," I admitted between giggles.

He frowned down at me, but smiled anyway after a few seconds.

"Fine. Apology accepted. How long does the hair thing last?"

"...The whole day..?"

The awe struck and slightly horrified look sent me into another fit of giggles.

We ended up walking out to the front of the school and sat on a stone bench there; I might have let him in on all the pranks we set up for today, and all the ones we did just this morning.

He seemed impressed by the organization, not so impressed with the whole idea. In exchange for all the new information, and since he wouldn't be running into anymore pranks today, he told me that the Ravenclaws were throwing a party in their dorm. Anyone could come as long as they were in costume, and if they left their house pride at the door. Apparently, Luna had told him about it, they really needed to start dating already.

It sounded like a lot of fun, I wondered if I could convince Hermione to go with me. I doubted it, her idea of fun was sitting in and reading and drinking tea, which was fun, just not all the time.

Ginny! I could ask Ginny to go with me, she'd be up for some fun on Halloween. I heard her talking at breakfast about how she was going to be bored today.

I said a quick bye to Neville after telling him that I'd be there with Ginny and ran off to find her. I was lucky enough to find the red headed girl in the first place I looked, the library.

"Ginny!" I whisper-yelled.

She looked up from what she was writing, and gave me a quizzical look.

I quickly explained about the party, and maybe demanded she go with me. She didn't seem to mind and we came up with a game plan.

Around 7 p.m. we left our dorm, and made our way to the Ravenclaw Tower. We stopped at the bottom of the stairwell before we got there and put on our costumes. Ginny was going as a unicorn, which meant she'd be wearing a mask with a horn on it, which was made to look like marble, and some white clothes that she cursed to shimmer like an opal.

I, on the other hand, was going as my own skeleton; I'd put on a black mask and a long sleeve shirt with a pair of skinny jeans and my combat boots, all in black obviously, and bewitched them to show an x-ray of my own skeleton; I might have let my hair grow out a bit, and turned it black as well. Ginny could barely tell it was me, and thought it was absurdly creepy, but as soon as I started to shimmy she laughed.

We got to the party, and the door was open, people were already there. There were different creatures, some people came as inanimate objects, others dressed up like wizard celebrities. There were centaurs, and walking lamps, and someone dressed up as the singer from the Weird Sisters band.

We made our way around the room, and eventually found Neville and Luna.

"Hey guys!"

Luna smiled and waved us over and Neville was blushing when he looked over. Curious.

Neville went wide-eyed when we finally got to them, apparently, he hadn't realized it was me; successful outfit or what? I immediately sent Neville and Ginny to go grab some drinks so I could confront Luna.

"So. What's going on with you and Neville?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean," I drew out my words for exaggeration, the twins were rubbing off on me, "do you like him?"

"Oh! Yes. Quite so actually," she smiled softly.

I, on the other hand, smiled widely; Luna was always so upfront, even if most people didn't see it.

The two I sent off finally came back, and handed us a cup of something or other.

They started to chat, but I wasn't listening very well because I saw a head of pale blonde hair pass by.

I said a quick 'excuse me for a moment' and pushed through the crowd to see if that hair belonged to the head that I thought to be the owner.

Soon I realized the cup of liquid was being a detriment, so I drank it all and sat it on a nearby shelf.

I kept pushing through the crowd, not really sure if I was going in the right direction, until I found my way to the bottom of a set of stairs. Stupidly curious, I went up them.

After the stairs there was just an empty corridor, quite like the ones in the Gryffindor dorms. I was roughly pulled out of the corridor and into what seemed to be a little alcove.

"What would a little kitten be doing at a party like this," a voice breathed heavily into my ear.

My eyes widened in panic, and I immediately tried to walk past the person blocking the way. It was dark in the alcove, but I could see the outline of the person standing in front of me. It was a hulking boy, who stood only a few inches taller then me and smelt repulsively of firewhisky.

I pushed into his shoulder to budge him to the side, which worked; he lost his balance a bit and I slid past. Problem was when he got his balance, and came back a bit angrier than before.

His large hand grabbed tightly to my forearm, and pulled me to face him. I usually try not to lose my cool, years of suppressing all your emotions helps a bit, but this was starting to freak me out a little.

"Hey..!" he tried to yell, but it came out as more of a slurred-grunt.

"Hi!" I said as nicely as I could and smiling. He was drunk, and he'd be a bit slow, I just needed a moment to slip down the stairs and into the crowd so I could tell someone about him. There were a few younger students here, this wasn't a great situation for anyone, and while I could probably handle this, someone else might not.

He looked a little confused at my reply, like he was trying to connect the dots, but a dot was missing.

He grumbled, shook his head, dismissing his thoughts, but he never took his hand off my arm.

His attention came back to me, he giggled roughly, "I like your skeleton," he said dumbly.

'Was that suppose to be a pick up line?' I thought, just as dumbly, and tried not to let my disgust show, or laugh openly at him.

I just kept smiling, completely ignoring the comment, "So firewhisky is fun, know where I could get some?"

He smiled, apparently pleased at my inquisition.

"Yeah, lemme show you," he slurred again and pulled me, luckily, down the stairs and into the crowd. I would be in a lot worse shape if he decided we'd be going farther into the dorms.

He was pushing through the crowd roughly, and his hand on my arm stayed as tight as ever. It was actually quite painful now that I thought about it.

My thoughts were interrupted when the creepy hulking boy stopped and yelled in his angry-slurred-drunk tone.

"Move out of the way mate," he growled lowly.

I couldn't see who he was talking to so I peaked around and found the boy I had been originally tracking down in the first place.

He was frowning angrily through a copper and black dragon mask, then he noticed me to the side of them and his frown deepened.

I pulled my arm that was trapped out into the open and wiggled it about.

Draco seemed to catch on a bit and his frown returned to the hulking boy, who seemed to be getting angrier.

"Why don't you leave Berrow," Draco told the boy.

The boy, Berrow, seethed at this; apparently Draco knew him, which probably meant he was a Slytherin. And that was fine, if he'd just let go of me then we could move on.

But he didn't, his grasp got tighter, and I gasped in pain. That was definitely going to bruise.

I don't know if Draco had noticed this or not, but his tone got dark very quickly.

"Berrow, do you know what I can do? Or are you just an idiot that doesn't know how to listen... Let go.. of THE GIRL." He didn't yell, actually, I could barely hear him, but his voice only gained venom as he talked. And as he talked Berrow's hand got tighter, I was on my knees by then and I could feel my eyes watering.

I would have sent a spell or something, anything, but my head felt fuzzy and my body felt heavy. I thought it was because I was nervous about the situation, but it suddenly felt like more than that.

Suddenly, the hand was gone, and I collapsed onto the ground, cradling my arm to myself. I looked up to find a floating, struggling Berrow above and Draco standing next to him, wand out, and his body bristling with anger, but his eyes were cold. It was scary, it was so much worse than the pain just to see that.

"..Draco.."

His gaze dropped to me, and his hand wand dropped a second later along with a gasping Berrow.

I noticed next that people had backed away, and were murmuring this or that; we had gained a crowd.

But the thought didn't process, things felt very blurry and the next thing I knew I was being lifted and carried off somewhere.

I spotted Luna, and protested to the person who was carrying me to stop. They seemed to do so begrudgingly. Luna came over to me, she looked rather curious, but not the least bit worried.

I told her, as best I could because it was hard to grasp thoughts, that some people were getting drunk and there were younger kids and to tell Ginny. The person above me spoke to her, but I was feeling heavy so I closed my eyes.

 **Draco**

She shouldn't have been with Berrow, and of course he was drunk on top of it; that kid had a problem. My anger might have slipped, but I honestly couldn't help it, I would have probably done worse if Evan didn't need to see the nurse.

After I picked her up to take her to the healing ward, she made me stop to talk to Luna. I had noticed earlier that there was something off about how she was acting, but now I was more sure of what happened, and it did not help my anger in the least; Berrow isn't the only one with a problem. Apparently, I have anger issues now, at least when someone puts their dumb meaty hands on Evan.

Evan mumbled about drunks and younger kids and Ginny, I think Luna got the point. But before I left I had to tell her something, "Luna, people are spiking drinks, let Ginny know that as well, and check the punch bowls."

She nodded and smiled softly, I watched her as she walked over to the punch bowl and cast a spell that lit the bowl up a purple color. The next thing she did was gently tip the bowl over and watched it all slowly spill onto the ground with a whimsical smile on her face and not a single care in her eyes.

People protested, but she just shrugged and dumped the whole thing over the edge of the table.

I left at that, knowing things would be taken care of. As I walked into the hall, I could hear the Weasley girl.. Ginny, yelling rather loudly about this or that to the party goers. She was really efficient, I admitted to myself begrudgingly.

When we got to the nurse, Evan was still awake, but not quite and she had a fever; she was really out of it. The nurse bustled about her and told me she had been drugged, something muggle I think, and that it was good that I got Evan to her because she was given a larger dosage than her small body could handle.

Madam Pomfrey gave her something to drink and told me to wait 30 minutes and then she could go back to her room when she felt up to it, she'd be fine.

 **Evangeline**

Waking up felt like coming out of a fog, and I was really grateful for the steadying hand on my back as I sat up. Me being unconscious seemed to be a reoccurring theme that I wasn't very fond of.

Draco was there, as he tended to be as of late, and had taken off his dragon mask I noticed.

"Hi.." I whispered.

"You should be more careful," he started in. He sounded like what I thought a scolding parent would sound like.

It made me smile softly, it was nice to add another person to the small list of people who cared about me.

"Don't smile, its serious," he frowned more.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just really nice to see you." The words might have been made as a distraction, but they were also true. I hadn't gotten to talk to him or really see him in almost 2 weeks now.

His frown softened, and he admitted defeat against my great tactics. We sat there awhile and caught up; hows this class, learned anything worth learning, what have you been doing recently, how are the Thestrals.

It wasn't anything serious, but it was relaxing, it was easy. We stay like that for awhile, sat close and talking in the dim light about trivial things. It's nice, and I missed talking to him, it made me sad. We'd have to keep doing this, keep talking when no one looked, and act like strangers otherwise.

But I know Draco doesn't like it much either, I see it when he has to look away from me. So I won't complain, and I won't be a child about it, even if I really want to. We'd go back to our facade later, but for now we'll just talk, for now I'll have to keep myself happy with the thought that someday in the future we'll be able to talk like this without worry about where we are or who we are.

 **Author's Note:**

Yaaaay, a one week late Halloween chapter. I hope the fact that it's a bit longer helps? Maybe?

I did add a real world-ish scenario thing to it, any thoughts? I feel like it could be more angsty, more real? I might end up rewriting some of this when I have time. Otherwise, review if you have any thoughts that you're thinking.


	29. Chapter 29

It had been awhile since the champions were announced, and it hadn't been very pretty. Harry was picked as a champion and there was no way to take him out of the running. The second worse part, besides being in a deadly competition, was that everyone hated him because 'he had cheated to get in'.

Everyone shunned and ridiculed him, even his best friend, Ronald Freaking Weasley. Even as Harry told everyone that he didn't cheat, and even as everyone forgot the fact that Harry never wanted eternal glory, and he didn't need the money, they pushed him away. It felt like we were back in the medieval era; Harry had been shackled, and was now being stoned to everyone's delight.

Some of us were trying to help him; Hermione, Ginny, the twins, me, but it eventually didn't make too much of a difference. Harry had become bitter about peoples lack of basic brain cells.

The twins asked me what brain cells were when I mention this to them; who doesn't know basic science? Wizards. Wizards don't know basic science unless they were closely related to a muggle or really liked muggle studies, but even Mr. Weasley probably wouldn't understand brain cells if he couldn't understand a rubber duck.

But that's rather off the point, Harry was pushing most of us away, and seething about the ones who kept throwing stones.

Somehow these really dumb badges started going around, they supported Cedric and made Harry a joke. I don't know where the badges came from, but I'd heard it came from a few Slytherins, which made sense considering they hated Harry a lot. That didn't stop me from vowing to hurt who ever made the dumb things that were pissing me off more and more every time I saw one.

Harry had found out from Hagrid, Ron would say otherwise, that the first challenge would involve dragons. I gave him a bit of advice when he told me.

"Dragons, the first freaking task is dragons."

My eyes got super wide, "That's amazing! Dragons are so great! Where are they keeping them before the tournament? The forest I'd suppose.."

" _Evan_. Back to reality please. I'm doomed. I can only use my wand. I don't know as many spells, or any complicated ones like the older champions know. DOOMED."

"Hmm.. no you aren't?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

"Nope."

"Yep." 

"Shut up and listen a moment so you don't come out the first round as a crispy chicken nugget you doofus!"

"..."

"Good. Well firstly, there's only a few dragons who are innately aggressive. But they'll probably rile them up for the competition, so they won't be too nice to anyone who gets near them even if they're passive animals. Just keep that in mind.

"Plus, you have magic you blundering idiot, get some imagination. You can do anything you like with it, and it doesn't have to be complicated to work. Pulley's and levers work BECAUSE they're simple. Magic isn't complicated, if they gave you a wand, you can give yourself everything else."

"..."

"..."

"That's actually pretty good advice.."

"Yeah, it is. Now, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to tell Cedric about the first task."

"Well... I guess so, I don't see how it could hurt. I just don't want to get severely maimed or killed. I don't plan on winning this bloody thing."

"Great, then I'll see you later Harry. Don't forget to do the potions homework, and don't get into any fights."

"Alright, fine, bye."

I had made my way to the courtyard, that's where Cedric spent his time goofing off with friends. He had actually gained a bit of a fan club with the whole becoming a champion thing. It made me worried, they weren't his friends, they just liked him right now because he was a bit famous.

I walked up steadily to the imposing group, and tried to keep my nerves, and hair color, at bay.

"Hey Cedric," I said a little louder than usual, his group of 'friends' were being quite loud.

"Huh? Oh! Evangeline, how's it going?"

He seemed to have gained a new air of arrogance, and it was hard for me to hide my initial reaction, which was to scowl at him like he wasn't speaking English, or like he was a five year old happily painting on the walls.

"Hi Cedric.. do you mind," I asked and pointed over to an empty spot in the courtyard behind me.

He gave himself a moment, and seemed reluctant to leave his new little clique, but begrudgingly did so anyway.

"So what's up?"

We were standing far enough from everyone now, and he seemed to slouch in on himself like he had known that the arrogance was a bad thing, but had indulged himself anyway; hand caught in the cookie jar. It made me sigh in relief though, he wouldn't become a stuck up jerk, probably. Cedric was still here, and that was good.

"It's nice to talk to you, ya know. I hadn't heard a peep from you since they announced the champions."

He seemed to shrink more at the thought, "Yeah, sorry about that.."

"No! No, it's fine, I'm sure everyone had kept you busy."

"Hmm.." He looked down at his feet.

"What I really wanted to talk about was the first task," I lowered my voice, "It's dragons Cedric. The first task is dragons."

His face fell into blankness, like an empty canvas.

"How.. how do you know that?"

"I know a few people, more like a few people know me. Not the point though, point is, be safe Cedric. The attention might be nice, but the competition could cost you more than a few bruises. And I promise that if you don't do well in the first, second, or third task, they won't follow you around like happy puppies. Be prepared for that, it happened to Harry, it can happen to you. People are fickle creatures.

"Just be safe Cedric," I told him quietly and gently squeezed his arm. He slowly shook his head; good, he understood.

I was about to leave when I heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey Diggory, what do you think you're doing?"

I was a few feet away from Cedric by then and turned around to find him turning towards the voice with a confused look on his face.

"What? Did you want something from me Draco?"

"Yeah, I want you to keep to your own business Diggory," Draco told him scathingly.

"My own business...? Oh, I get it, you don't like that I was talking to Evan," he laughed at the realization.

Draco seemed to fume at the accusation, "Why in the world would I be mad about a blood traitor talking to a filthy mudblood. No. I was talking about the tournament; don't fraternize with the competition, it makes you look even dirtier."

The pain wasn't immediate, there was only shock at first. Like someone you trusted had slapped you across the face and you couldn't comprehend what had happened until the sting settled in, and the actual realization of what just happened sent you hurtling towards hurt.

I should have known better. Of course this would happen. I just didn't know it would hurt so much, or I didn't want to think about how much it could hurt. The amount of pain was surprising, I can't relate it to anything else I've felt before.

And I could hear people shouting, and I could hear people running, and I could hear someone crying and trying to catch their breath, then someone screamed, and then I heard nothing at all except for the quiet and the screaming.

 **Draco**

I hadn't meant to, or at least, I hadn't meant for it to come out so harsh. The excuse in my head at the time was that I had to make it look real. No one could know, and I panicked. As soon as I said it, everyone went quiet and Diggory looked rather pissed. He should be, I'm pissed at me.

He started yelling about what an arse I was and was physically ready to punch me in the face when Evan started to cry. If she were just crying then Diggory would have already hit me, but no, she was hyperventilating as well. Diggory stopped and looked at Evan, worried, he stepped up to her and reached out his arm.

I went to tell him to stop, that was a bad idea, but he had already grabbed her arm.

She screamed, pure panic, and threw herself backwards. Her hair had turned a dull gray before she hit the ground. She was on her butt and crawling away from Diggory, but soon gave up and just curled in on herself. She pulled her knees up to her face and wrapped her arms around her legs, hiding her face.

I did this. This was my fault. Shit.

Diggory made to go to her again, but I grabbed him firmly by the arm. I shook my head at him, no. No. Not a good fucking idea.

"Go tell Madam Pomfrey to expect Evan, tell her it happened again."

He hesitated, clearly not liking the idea of doing as I told him. But he didn't know what else to do I suppose, and left as I asked.

Everyone was staring, but I really couldn't care about that right now. This was my fault.

I went up to Evan and crouched down to get to her, but I made sure not to touch her.

"Evan," I said as calmly as possible, and when she didn't answer I used more authority, like when I talk to one of the Slytherin first years, but more kindly.

"Evangeline."

She looked up slightly, eye's wet and taking gasping breaths, and when she saw me she flinched.

"Evangeline. I am sorry. But I'm going to take you somewhere with less people, okay?"

After a pause she shook her head yes.

"Can you walk?" Stay calm, talk calmly.

At the thought she curled up more, her breathing accelerated and she shivered.

"Evan. I'm going to carry you, okay?" Cautious, calm.

She shook her head, yes again, while it was hiding between her limbs.

"Okay, come on.."

I carefully picked her up and once she was in my arms, bridal style, she just hid her face and put her hands on her ears.

"Crabbe. Goyle. Make sure no one's in the halls while I take her to the infirmary. Go."

They darted forwards immediately, and I followed behind them.

They shooed away anyone in the halls ahead of us, and by the time we got to the healing ward, no one had seen us.

Madam Pomfrey was waiting for us just inside of the hospital wing with Diggory hovering next to her.

"What's going on! What's wrong with her!" Diggory really needed to learn to shut up sometimes; I could feel Evan physically cringe at the intrusive noise, even if he really wasn't being too loud. I cast a deprecating stare towards the idiot and he quieted down pretty quickly, Crabbe and Goyle followed his lead and stayed quiet.

"She's having another attack." I was talking to the nurse, not the nit wits trailing behind us.

I moved her to a bed and Madam Pomfrey very coaxingly got Evan to drink a calming draught. She was out of it completely after that, but she wasn't asleep and wasn't freaking out as much so I was freaking out less.

The self loathing was about to hit, but the people around me didn't seem inclined to let me wallow. That didn't stop the tense hate in my chest from burning me inside out while three nimrods slammed me with questions.

 **Author's Note:**

Wooow, look at that, it's been what? Two weeks..? Sorry- super sorry. And sorry again because it's gonna be Thanksgiving here in America soon. That means one of two things, you will get all of the chapters because I'll be avoiding my family by writing, or I'll be too busy because I can't avoid the horde of people I have to call a family. We'll see, won't we.

P.s. Sorry, I made an ass out of Draco for this chapter. And I have no excuses, I just felt like it. Boom. Mic drop. I'm going to leave now before I make myself into a bigger nerd. Happy Holidays?


	30. Chapter 30

They wouldn't shut up. Really. How many question can come out of an idiots mouth? Times that by three because why not have them all talk at the same time.

They were way too loud, and Madam Pomfrey promptly kicked them out but left me sitting beside Evangeline's bed. As soon as she pushed them out the doors with a quick 'come back later!' she came back and slowly sat down next to me.

I didn't want to hear whatever she had to say. Whatever it was wasn't about to make me feel better, I didn't want to feel better; I deserved the pain and the hurt. I deserved more than just that.

"Another attack then, I hope they don't persist. The dear already has so much to deal with."

I said nothing, I just kept staring at Evangeline's face that looked so soft as her eyes slowly searched the ceiling. She looked so tired, so I ignored Madam Pomfrey and spoke softly to Evangeline instead, "Go to sleep Evan. You're okay now."

She closed her eyes and finally fell asleep, head lolling softly to the the side.

"So what happened? By the look on your face I'd say it was your fault she were here. At least, you believe so."

Alright, that stung a little to hear out loud.

After another brief silence she started talking again, "Fine. Don't talk to me about it. But we should really talk about these panic attacks."

I turned to her, she finally got my attention. "Alright, lets talk."

We had actually talked about this before; I had come to Madam Pomfrey's office sometime after everything settled down to let her know what happened and to get some advice on how to handle it next time. She told me it wasn't completely unusual for someone to have a panic attack, she was going through a LOT right now and didn't know how to deal with it.

I was told to keep calm, and to not push her personal bubble if it happened again. Madam Pomfrey had said she hoped there wouldn't be a next time, but if there were she would give her some calming draught to keep on her person if it became a regular thing.

I found out that while mental disorders were just as common in the the magical world as it was in the muggle world, we actually didn't have as much knowledge on it as the muggles did. A lot of wizards who were Psychiatrists, and the like, went to muggle schools to learn about mental health and such. Madam Pomfrey spent a few years at a college in America and a few more in Germany to learn about treating mental health and then spent a couple more years learning to apply that knowledge properly to the wizarding world.

I knew all of this, but I didn't want to talk to her right now. I forced myself to stay still, and refrained from acting on the impulse to make her leave so that I could watch over Evangeline and stew in my own hate.

She must have noticed that I wasn't up for whatever a 'talk' would entail, and went straight into business.

"I'll make a calming draught for her to keep in her school bag or on her person, just in case, and if she uses it make sure she comes back to get another to replace it. She'll be fine once she sleeps it off, probably; try to gauge her, if she isn't doing too well then she can skip classes today. If she needs anything she can come talk to me."

I grunted in reply, which sounded more like a growl, while she grabbed a vile out of thin air and set in on the bedside table.

She made to walk away but stopped, facing away from us saying, "We make mistakes. It's what you do and how you feel after that matters," then she walked into her office.

Her words were more than cheesy, and even if it were true, it doesn't stop the burning regret in my chest.

 **Evangeline**

I woke up and it felt like there was a pillow over my ears, or maybe I was underwater. My brain couldn't keep up, and I felt so tired. Tired with a hint of sadness that I couldn't identify, a heaviness in my chest. I felt like crying and I couldn't remember why at the moment, or even understand why I couldn't remember. Like I was five again, and I just wanted what I wanted and didn't know anything else.

In an instant I felt someone hovering to my left, I found Draco there, he looked stricken, like maybe someone had died.

Those thoughts didn't last; things were still fuzzy, but I just wanted what I wanted, right?

I shot up and grabbed him, hauling myself off the bed and into the boys lap. I curled up and just started to cry.

He was very still for a minute, but then he curled himself around me as well.

One arm came around my back and the hand connecting to it rested on my stomach, pulling me closer while another hand went to my hair. His head rested against the top of mine and he hugged me closely.

It was a relief and a comfort. But if someone asked, I wouldn't be able to tell them why.

 **Draco**

Did this mean she didn't hate me? A guy could hope, but I would still have to make all this up to her. For now I would just stay here until she stopped crying and felt like talking. I felt like that would be awhile, but someone would have to pry my dead body off of her before I left her right now.

I looked up at the sound of a creaking door. The door to the healing ward to be exact. I fully expected to see either Crabbe or Goyle of Diggory sneak back in to see if Evan was okay. That was not the case. An anxious looking Weasley came into the room.

Once Ginny had spotted us her face went from anxious to fuming and pissed. This would not be fun.

The girl strutted up to me and punched me in the face, right across the cheek. Okay. That fucking hurt. But I deserved it, deserved more than a punch for upsetting Evangeline enough to give her an anxiety attack.

The small girl still sat curled in my lap and still hadn't stopped crying. She also hadn't given any hint that she knew Ginny was here.

I carefully looked back up at the fuming red head. She looked like she would like to continue hitting me, but held back because Evan was too close to attempt anything more aggressive.

"What in the bloody hell happened?! Why is Evan crying, and why did she have a break down in the courtyard?!"

I sighed heavily and held the girl closer as she flinched at the intrusive noise, "You might want to sit down, it is a long story."

The ginger huffed but sat with her legs criss crossed on the bed that Evan had recently vacated; she some how made the whole act of sitting intimidating, but I wasn't about to let that affect me.

Once she sat down I told her to wait a minute. That girl could give a sneer worthy of Slytherin.

I turned towards Evan and spoke softly, "Evan, Evangeline dear," I tried to get her attention. The calming draught was just starting to wear off, and she would be a bit out of it for another 30 minutes to an hour. Plus, she was still in panic mode underneath the magic potion. The combination must have been very confusing, she couldn't seem to understand much at the moment.

She was still slightly crying, but gave a small whimper in reply to my coaxing, "Just one question Evan, you know Ginny. You remember Ginny, yes?"

I could feel the red heads penetrating gaze but ignored her in favor of the the small girl in my arms.

Evan gave a small nod of assent so I continued, "Do you trust her? Really trust her?"

The small girl was still for a bit, and I could hear a very indignant noise come from the Weasley, but Evangeline slowly nodded her head yes and promptly curled even more into herself; obviously wishing for the questioning to be over with.

"Okay," I told her and tried to get her to relax a bit by running my hand through her hair, she did.

I turned my attention back to Ginny, who looked at us curiously with an undertone of horror.

"I will start with the obvious. I am about to tell you a whole lot of secrets that you can not revel to anyone. This is for the safety of more than one including Evangeline. You can not tell a single soul. Not a friend or a brother or a teacher. No one. If word got out you could get Evan killed."

Now she seemed horrified for a whole new reason. At least I knew she was taking this seriously.

She slowly shook her head, showing that she understood.

"Alright, well everyone already knows that Evangeline is a metamorphagus; that alone makes her very special. A while ago Evan and I started talking again, against my wishes; she is very persistent. I was with her when she found out that she was a seer."

Ginny's eyes were wide, she seemed shocked but not completely petrified so I continued.

"She saw a war, a big one, in our future. Now who do you think would love to get their hands on a seer that can prophecies world changing events?"

She looked startled and a bit disbelieving; it took me awhile and a lot of explaining to get her to understand. Once she did we sat in silence as she absorbed all the new knowledge.

At least Evan had stopped crying, she was asleep now. Ginny broke the silence first.

"I think I get the whole future thing, but what is with you and her?"

I felt my brow furrow without my say so, "What do you mean?"

She scoffed, "You mean you don't- oh Merlin, you don't, do you?"

This conversation was starting to get under my skin, "What are you on about Weasley."

"Its just, all this looks like you guys- with the cuddling and the- the hair stroking and- really?"

There was a silence for a few beats while I waited for her to fill in the blanks.

"Okay, well I thought you guys were secretly dating."

I felt my face get hot. That wasn't what was happening, but it also wasn't an unhappy thought. I tried to look as disapproving as I could; it probably didn't work.

Ginny stared wide-eyed at me, "Merlin. Draco Malfoy, you like her."

I again tried to sneer, but it didn't hold its normal malice, especially since I was cradling a small girl. I probably did like her, but to what degree and what would it entail? Feelings are not my forte, I wouldn't know what to do if I actually liked her. I sound like a nob, even in my own head.

"Oh, no," she grinned, "you really REALLY like her."

"Shut your mouth Weasley."

 **Authors Note:**

Well. Hi. This is awkward. So I've been gone awhile. The first half of that time I have perfectly fine explanations for, the other half, not so much. BUT I am back, hello to all. I am so sorry. Moving on.

I edited all the chapters, nothing too large, just little tweaks here and there. Nothing life changing except I AM SO SORRY **ANORAFOX** I WAS WRONG. I went back and found what you saw and how I fucked up. I wrote those first chapters so long ago. Like the first 5 were written at 3 a.m. and then uploaded. So so very sorry, it is fixed now, I am a royal idiot. Thank you.

I think that's it? Next chapter soon? Anyone wanna tell me I'm a prick? Because I am? Or if you wanna share thoughts, that's cool too? Bye for now, not forever, so very sorry again.


	31. Chapter 31

**Ginny**

"Shut your mouth Weasley. The point is that Evangeline needed a friend to talk to about this stuff. Someone who could be there because I can't, not without catching certain peoples attention," he said in a rush.

I guess that is understandable, very reasonable. What isn't reasonable is that Draco Malfoy has a freaking lovey-dovey crush on my friend! Eve didn't seem to mind it either, quite the opposite; since when was this a thing?! I should have seen this a mile away, it seems bloody obvious now. Eve and I are going to have a nice chat real soon.

"Of course I'm going to be there for her. I get it, enough for now, she can tell me the rest later. What about what happened in the courtyard earlier; what was that about?"

I watched him visibly flinch, like I had just punched him again. Somehow this was worse because at least when I punched him he still looked me in the eye.

"I hadn't meant to say it... But Diggory was catching on and he was about to reveal everything to everyone there. I wasn't kidding when I said Evan could end up dead, even then, I said something I shouldn't have. I push her away, constantly, I hurt her; but here she is again, curled up in my lap asleep. Why can't she stay away? It would be easier to keep her safe if she just hated me-"

"Stop right there Draco Malfoy," I interrupted angrily, "Evangeline Ann Prince couldn't hate someone even if she tried. You would have had to do some serious damage to someone she loves before she could entertain the thought, I doubt she would even then. Now, that girl loves the hell out of you, so you better not step on her anymore. Especially so, because knowing her, that isn't going to change no matter what you do.

"Since you probably already know this I will only say it once. If you hurt her, really hurt her, then it won't just be me you have to answer to; won't just be all of Gryffindor House either. Then again, you already know that. I swear, I would call it unhealthy how much everyone loves her if I didn't know her personally. But I get it. This isn't the most ideal situation for you guys to try to be a freaking thing, a _couple_ or something."

Sighing heavily I look at the poor idiot who is sitting there staring at me like he's actually listening and paying attention. Wonder where his big persona of arrogance scampered off to. I would guess there isn't room for arrogance when you have a wonder of the world sleeping in your arms. She is in so much danger, bloody hell, what am I suppose to do with you Eve?

This chat has been very informative, for both of us it seems. I want to take Eve with me, but I don't think I could pry her off Draco with a crow bar, so there's that. I tell Draco to send Eve my way when she wakes up, after their obvious chat that will be happening. I leave, still not knowing what happened in the courtyard. I'm not sure I want to know, my blood pressure couldn't take it. Look, the stress is already making me an old lady. I am the same age as Eve, dammit!

I head straight to the practice pitch, we might not be having any matches with all this Tournament nonsense, but I will still be practicing for next year.

I run laps and fly a few as well, the basic exercises and stretches, then do some practice games with a few people who had the same idea as me and are out on the pitch. I catch myself sighing heavily, Harry would usually be out here as well if it wasn't for the fact that he is brooding like an idiot. I get it, the whole school is bullying him, but he went and pushed everyone who matters away. He only ever talks with Eve anymore, I am a little jealous, admittedly. I want to hate her a little bit, but even before I knew she liked Draco, I knew she wasn't interested in Harry like that.

She loves Harry like she loves the rest of us. We are her family. The only family and friends she has ever really known besides Steve, who I hear isn't there for her 100% of the time. The guy is trying to juggle a wife and child who don't get along, fine, but seriously? Mrs. Kelpie sounds like a prick; doesn't matter if the wizard thing freaks her out. Eve didn't deserve to be neglected.

It isn't Eve I am worried about with Harry. It's Harry. I am a little bit worried he might like her more than he lets on. At least, I use to think that. But I have discounted the possibility after talking to Draco; the way he looks at her...

I feel I should be worried about the twins being in love with her, not right now, no. I want to doubt the possibility since they're older and she is still young - my freaking age - but when she gets older? Seriously, the only possible person who could be more connected than the two of them would be the three of them. The thought of them sharing a girl isn't too impossible, even if it feels repulsive to think of my brothers like that. Then again, they haven't been serious about anyone before, could end up being possessive. That would end badly.

I'm probably being ridiculous, my mind runs away sometimes. All this possible drama gives me a headache, and I still need to listen to Eve when she gets back to the dorms. I told Draco to send her to my room, everyone I share it with are always gone until late.

When I get there I find her sitting on my bed waiting. And we talk. And talk. And talk. And shit. What in the actual fuckery is this. This won't be okay. At all.

She unloaded everything. Apparently people are suppose to die. A lot of them. She said she could name everyone she saw die. She told me with an empty, resigned look stuck in her eyes that they lined up the bodies in the Great Hall. I have never seen her like this, it is terrifying, almost as terrifying as the idea of people we know dying. She has been carrying this information for the last month, doesn't know exactly when it'll happen, though she came to the conclusion that it was organized so it wouldn't be an out of nowhere attack.

"How do you.. Eve, the people you saw, do you have to talk to them now? You see them in the hall, or Merlin forbid, talk to them every day? I don't want to know who dies, but how do you...?"

"How do I talk to someone normally when I watched them die?" Her eyes started to water, and she rubbed at them, choking on a broken laugh, "Been crying way too much today." She sounds so small, and even younger than she already is.

She took a breath and steadied herself so that when she looked at me she was more put together, she looked fucking brave.

"I have to. I have to talk to them like I usually do. I don't know if can change the future. I know I won't be able to save them all, people die in a war, it happens. But I am going to try, even if it is really selfish. I am going to try to save the people closest to me. And that is really really shitty. I feel like a bad person, who am I to pick who is going to be saved? Who lives? Who I let die?"

I try to stop her there, but she just holds up a hand and keeps going.

"Even if I can't save any of them, it feels like a betrayal to not try to save them all. So it's selfish. I know, but that is how its going to be. Ginny. I am so sorry." She says the last bit brokenly.

Now I'm crying. What is she apologizing for? What in Hell's name is she apologizing for!? But I know what she is apologizing for. I know. Just like she knows she can't save them, I know I am going to lose a brother. I know, and it isn't her fault, but I want to scream and hit her. Tell her to take it back. Call her a liar. Make her tell me which one.

I don't do any of that. I let her hold me and I let her pet my hair, and I let it be a comfort. It isn't her fault, but it hurts. This is why she has to be kept a secret. If people knew, they would lash out or take advantage of her. Whoever wants a war isn't going to be nice about getting what they want. I almost want to tell her to never speak with Draco again because it is such a gigantic risk. Death Eaters aren't going to be on our side, and I can't imagine that Draco would leave his family to deal with whatever the future holds. I know I wouldn't, then again, my father isn't a Death Eater, so who knows?

Eve and I sleep in my bed together that night, coming to a silent agreement to talk more later; we are both exhausted. I hate to think of it, but the future is terrifying, to know what is going to happen. I hope she won't get any more visions, I can barely deal with vague mentions of the future, and she knows the details.

Eve is out like a light, but I am a little slower and lay next to her wondering what we can do for her - we, as in her family. Can't tell everyone, maybe we should wait until next year to even try to say anything; Eve is already really stressed out. As I finally start to drift I realize I never asked what happened in the courtyard.

 **Author's Note:**

Boom. A whole lot of Ginny Weasley for your viewing pleasure. She is obviously 100% in love with Harry still, obviously. Next will be Dragons. DRAGONS GUYS.


	32. Chapter 32

I woke up wrapped in a vice like Weasley. A ginger headed girl wrapped around me like some kind of octopus; all legs and arms, I think she might have grown a few limbs.

I de-tangled myself without worry of waking her up. All the Weasley's could sleep through a hurricane, considering that was what their family was like all the time, they wouldn't get any sleep otherwise.

I headed up to my room to get dressed and wash up; everyone was still in bed sleeping. Instead of grabbing my school clothes I grab my regular weekend clothes even though it's a Tuesday. Today will be the day of the first task for the champions.

I head into the bathrooms to take a shower; the water is warm and comforting even as I think about everything that did and will happen.

I woke up in Draco's lap, and even though I remembered what happened in the courtyard I couldn't bring myself to push him away when he clung to me in the same way I held onto him.

I realized then that this wasn't a good idea, staying with him; staying meant getting hurt. He didn't do it on purpose, that didn't make it hurt less. He realized he messed up, it wouldn't happen again, I knew that even before he said it.

I also realized this could go downhill quickly. I know I can't fix him, can't fix his problems for him, but me being with him helps him to want to be a better person.

I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the line we became serious; sometimes I entertain the thought that we always had been. I still don't know what we are to each other, at least not in words that someone might understand. We're just _important_ to each other. I don't know what else to call it other than a need to be with him, to help where I can and just keep him near.

Then there is the first task today, the dragons. I saved a small hope for getting to meet the dragons after the match, after they calm down and all. Charlie works with dragons, maybe he's here to look after them. I could probably convince him to let me take a peek.

I should probably be more worried for the champions that are competing. Harry or Cedric could get seriously hurt out there, but I'm still not very worried. While a depressing thought, the people running the Tournament probably want to keep the champions alive at least until the second or third task so they can keep competing for glory or what ever.

Then there's the fact that I saw Harry and Cedric in my vision, fighting in the future war. So I know that they will be in one piece until then. At least I think so, I don't know how this whole vision thing works.

That's a whole other box of messed up I have to think about that I really don't want to think about. I have been trying to avoid it for a long time now. Maybe I can put it off one day more, with the whole task thing going on I don't want to miss out on it because I have another break down thinking about it. I would much rather take the distraction and have some fun with my friends.

Distraction it is.

Once I'm dressed in some jeans, a dark green shirt, my jacket and a red scarf, I'm off.

Breakfast first, it's early still, really early. So I doubt I'll run into anyone which is good because I am feeling a little jumpy this morning; I don't want to worry anyone. I'm worried that even though I told Draco that I forgive him, he might still try to run, try to push me away again.

The thought has me feeling a bit paranoid, like I'm going to turn the corner and find Draco telling me to never talk to him again, calling me a mudblood again.

It's probably silly, but it is a really big fear of mine, that he'll toss me away; that any of my important people will toss me away because I'm not good enough, because I'm a freak.

That's why back in the courtyard I freaked out, even though I knew why he said those things, even though I knew he probably didn't mean it, I couldn't handle the palpable possibility that my fears were coming true. And I'm still scared.

While I walk to the Great Hall I fight the urge to find Draco and hold on to him for dear life like I did in the infirmary. It won't fix anything even if it would be a comfort, so I keep pushing the thought aside and sit down at the almost empty Gryffindor table.

Muffins and orange juice is what I go for. It reminds me of Draco, damn it, seriously? Can't I go five minutes without this itch to find him. I feel really on edge, and the more I think about my insecurities the more anxious I get. By now I know I should probably drink the calming draught that Madam Pomfrey gave me, but I don't want to drink a potion, I want Draco. I want to make sure he isn't going to run from me again and leave me alone.

The rational part of me says I'm not alone, but the rest of me cry's about finding him.

Then there's someone sitting across from me. I look up and try to really focus on who is sitting there patiently and find Luna staring at the pitcher of orange juice to my right.

I take a breath, just Luna, it's just Luna. I try smiling at her the best I can, but it feels small and not quite adequate. She only glances at me for a second before staring at the pitcher again.

"It's such a strange liquid. Not lucky in the least, but fine enough to not be unlucky either."

I look to the pitcher as well, "Hmm, I see, I like a good neutral drink myself. Don't really need any luck, do I?"

Luna tends to speak in riddles, not on purpose, I just think that's how her brain works. It makes some sense to me, but not a lot of people seem to understand what she means.

"Everyone could use a bit of luck, but I suppose you don't really need it. Do you feel better now?"

I wait a minute and realize she was just trying to distract me.

Laughing, my hair curling in amusement, I reply, "Yes, thank you Luna."

She just smiles, looks down at her plate and starts carefully filling it.

I've eaten two muffins and drank a glass of orange juice before saying bye to Luna and heading to Hagrid's hut. I have a couple of hours before the first task starts, and Hagrid makes for good company.

The air is cool, almost biting, but the sun is warm as I make my way down to his little home.

Which is a funny thought considering Hagrid is part giant, yet he doesn't have any trouble maneuvering in a space that must be a little too small for him.

When I get to his door I knock, but he doesn't answer so he must be out doing something or other. My guess would be tending to the dragons that are probably in the forest.

I don't even think about it, though I probably should, and venture straight into the forest to find Hagrid and maybe- hopefully- find some dragons as well.

The forest is always so welcoming. I wouldn't tell anyone, but I'm pretty sure it has a mind of its own, and I don't mean that in a figurative sense. I could see why kids would be frightened to enter here, you can't hide yourself from the trees, they see you, and the wind knows who you are, and the sunlight knows your secrets.

The forest is a force to be reckoned with. I sound a little bit like Professor Trilowny now, I wonder if it's a Seer thing. People do tend to brush what they don't understand aside, write it off as the delusional talking of a crazy person. Or like Luna, people think she has a few screws loose, but what she says makes perfect sense if you listen. Neville can understand her just fine, and he's the normal one.

Voices in the distance snap me out of my thoughts. I hear Hagrid laughing at something and a couple of other people laugh too and say something back. It all sounds like murmurs from where I am.

I make my way towards the noise, unrepentant of the fact that I am a student and I shouldn't be in the forest and I shouldn't be going towards the dragons and I shouldn't be distracting people from their jobs.

There are obviously too many rules, I don't see why I should follow them. That might be the little voice of Fred and George in my head though.

Once I break into the clearing I see huge cages with these surprisingly docile creatures that tower over every thing. They're just sitting in their giant pins, some sniffing at the air and giving me a looksie and others are just napping, all curled up like a cat.

I see a small group of people standing on the far side of the clearing, the cages of four dragons between them and me.

I take the opportunity to carefully step up to the nearest cage. I take deliberate and careful steps so that the hulking green dragon knows what I'm doing.

It stares at me intently, its head is raised but otherwise it doesn't move from its curled up position.

Once I'm in front of the cage the dragon can't be more than a few meters away. It's beautiful. All of it is sleek, massive muscles and grace.

I keep my hands clasped behind my back and my head lowered while I look at him. Showing my respect as best I can while I look at it.

The dragon stares back and then sits up in front of me, doubling its height. Looking down at me, I keep my head lowered, drinking in whatever I can see from this angle.

Giant scales on its torso and tinier ones near its toes which have huge claws that don't look too sharp, but could probably cut through anything with enough force from those arms. Its breaths are slow and large and calm, and its tail almost wraps around its legs. My head is screaming cat and I try not to giggle at the thought of giving a dragon some catnip.

It leans down towards me, giving me a sniff, I can feel its breath like a cold wind against me. A dragons breath is cold not hot? Then it taps the cage slight, so I decide to look up. Maybe that means I can get closer.

I take a step forward and it sniffs me again then presses its wide nose against the bars.

I can feel its slow breaths easily from here and while keeping my head lowered a bit, at the same time I try to test lifting my hand. The dragon doesn't move so I reach out and place it on its nose.

It's wet and actually warm; cold breath, warm body?

I hear a commotion behind me, I'm pretty sure the group of people figured out I was here; I can hear Hagrid's admonishing and slightly panicked voice in the background, but I ignore all that for a way more interesting creature in front of me.

The dragon doesn't stir either, and the people behind me seem to be trying to talk me away from the cage instead of ripping me away from it. All things considered, my arm is still in there with a dragon, and the people behind me don't seem to want to get very close and by chance spook the graceful beast.

See, problem is that I have really _really_ spent too much time with the twins, and I really want to just do what I want to do right now. Following the rules is boring anyways, plus, I'm kind of in my element right now. This is the forest and it allowed the dragons in so they can't be bad, dangerous maybe, but not evil or sinister or anything.

Just dangerous? It could probably kill me, but anything could kill me; a wrong step on the staircase could kill me. So I step into the cage.

 **Author's Note:**

Alright so this came out later than I planned, mostly because I'm suffering greatly on a chapter in the future and got a little caught up in that plus some recent beta stuff that I do. Don't judge me. It is very late right now and I just want a grilled cheese and sleep. Review if you like, or don't, what ever floats your boats. But DRAGONS guys. Dragons. Oh, and some more Luna 'cause I like her.


	33. Chapter 33

As I stepped into the cage I could hear the gasps and yelps of fear behind me. They were trying to stay quiet even then it seemed, but I wasn't paying attention to them anymore.

It was beautiful, I felt more than a little awed at the sight. It sat there and calmly looked down at me, maybe a little curious, but not nervous and definitely not scared. Just sure of its standing and confident and beautiful and everything I wished I could be. The things I was just thinking that maybe I was capable of.

I reached out again, more doing than thinking at the moment, and stretched my finger tips out towards it. We were standing so close now, but even then the dragon felt miles away as it towered over me.

Then it wasn't so far away anymore, it was actually very close. Its nose rested against my hand, wet and warm still, and then it nudged my hand away, shuffling slightly closer to press its nose to my body to sniff and push me around.

It tickled, the little puffs of cold air on my skin gave me goose bumps when met with almost hot skin, and the giant muzzle twitched against my body. It made me laugh quietly at the intrusion, but I let it do as it pleased; all things considered, that is what led me here.

I could hear a quiet fight happening behind me, and turning my head I could see everyone, 7 or 8 people plus Hagrid, arguing with each other and not giving me a single glance. Which was fine, typically I would have just ignored them and kept introducing myself to the Hulk, fitting name if unoriginal, but the argument seemed to be escalating.

Hulk even took noticed, giving the people a bored glance as they steadily got louder. They seemed to be yelling about what they should be doing to get me out. Some were of the opinion that they let the dragon maim/eat me; others thought they should charge into the cage. Hagrid seemed to be trying to calm them down, as both options were incredibly stupid. None of these people were actual dragon trainers or keepers, it was blaringly obvious.

I sighed heavily, very disappointed that I wouldn't have more time with the dragon. Maybe I could find their real keeper and talk to them about the beautiful creatures that they looked after.

I gave Hulk a soft stroke on its snout and took a step backwards to let it know I was leaving. Hulk huffed and gave me a departing push to show its acceptance and irritation of my departure.

I laughed again and left the cage easily, walking up to the group a small distance away. They didn't notice me at first, all too caught up in their arguing, but eventually one of them noticed and then the others did as well.

When all was silent and I had their attention I addressed the tiny crowd trying for the bored indifference that Hulk had shown them, "I thought you were adults, but this was all very childish so I must be mistaken," the twins will have a hoot when I tell them about this, "Hagrid, is Charlie here?"

There was a prolonged silence before Hagrid answered, gasping like a fish "Why, yes, he is, should be 'ere any minute now."

With that the group broke out in angry ramblings of "How dare she" and "What a rude little wart" and my favorite "We should teach her a lesson".

I really would like to see them try. After the first few years here with all the weirdness happening - spiders, Voldemort, trees, Voldemort, werewolves, Voldemort, three headed dogs, Voldemort, and snakes that have everything to do with Voldemort - I picked up some DADA tutor lessons from older students. Not to mention I take self-defense lesson over the summer due to Steve's paranoia; I am grateful for that, physical violence - protection, not violence, because it's self-defense, blah blah blah - is useful when everyone around you relies on magic alone and sometimes brute force.

Not like I was listening to them anymore, I was wandering between cages trying to, respectfully, get an eye full of every dragon there and waiting as patiently as possible for Charlie to arrive.

I think they realized I left after a few minutes of getting pumped to teach me some kind of lesson, Hagrid half freaking out, and they were really riled. They thought I ran away scared, and were ready for a chase. The disappointment was palpable after they charged around a cage to look for me, well, they found me. I was staring at this huge, red dragon that looked ferocious, but seemed rather sweet.

It was getting difficult to ignore the weird group of people, who seemed to have anger issues, after one of them grabbed my arm. I was debating on using either a magical or physical defense if things escalated, when suddenly the man holding my arm was no longer there and was laying on the ground a few feet away. Curious.

"We do not put our hands on a lady, Gregory, it's unbecoming of you and just plain rude."

I turn, eyes wide and scream, "CHARLIE!"

I take a run at the man and squish him as hard as I can in a hug. A hug that ended us both on the ground.

I couldn't help the happy laughter that escaped, it had been so long since I had gotten to see Charlie. The last time being the year before, right after the Weasley family got back from their trip to Egypt; I love all of the Weasleys.

Percy and the snobbish attitude he hides behind, freaking Ron when he doesn't use the brain I know he has; Bill when he acts like a wise old man but is still just a child; Molly and her suffocating coddling; Arthur and his too curious questions; Ginny and her over powering presence and attitude; George and his wild ideas; Fred with his smart mouth; and Charlie who understood my fascination with nature even if he can't understand anything else.

I missed him, I miss any single one of the Weasleys that I don't get to see longer than a month. That goes the same for any one of my good friends. They have been everything that I never had.

Charlie just laughs right back at me, for being silly he says, and we somehow manage to get back on our feet.

"I didn't know you'd be here Charlie! _And_ you brought dragons with you and didn't tell me," I reprimand playfully.

"Sorry, but it was suppose to be a surprise. What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Just came to see if you were around, and maybe, perhaps, get a look at the dragons."

"More like jump into that there cage with the great beast," Hagrid puts in sounding none too happy.

"You WHAT?!" Charlie yells, which is not at all the reaction that I was expecting; he looks kind of... scandalized?

"I was just saying hello," I tell him, I thought it would be obvious to introduce myself.

"You can't just- _Evangeline,_ those are nesting mothers!"

"Okay, so?"

Charlie let out something between a scream and a gasp, I think he was a little exasperated with me.

"Umm, if I say that I know what I was doing would that make things better?"

"No! You have no idea what you were doing Evangeline!"

This was starting to get on my nerves, and I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt a little that Charlie wasn't getting it, again.

"Yes, I do. I know what I was doing, it wasn't going to hurt me!"

"You don't know that! Nesting mothers are volatile! She could have killed you, how could you be so stupid?!"

Well, that felt a bit like a slap to the face. I feel my breath pick up pace without my say so, and no, no I am not doing this here; not again, no.

So I take off running before they can say another word.

My breaths are deep and quick, I can't tell if that's from freaking out or from the running. There are people yelling and I should be able to hear what they say but it all sounds like white noise.

As I run through the forest, it starts to feel less like running and more like gliding. The cool air is a comfort to my too hot skin and my way too busy thoughts.

My head is pounding and clear thoughts are a struggle to make. I vaguely think that I really want Draco right now, but push the feeling aside for reasons unknown to my cluttered mind.

Then suddenly I'm outside of the forest, the trees that had blurred past me are now standing still at my back as I crash into a person. The white noise suddenly stops, and a new kind of quiet sets in. The change is so drastic that I reel back and fall on my butt, so very ceremoniously if I do say so myself.

I look at the ground, taking a minute to catch my breath, and find a pair of feet; my gaze travels up, their knees are bent with elbows resting on them, green scarf and a worried, calming face looking my way.

Theo. It's Theo.

"Are you okay?"

 **Authors Note:**

I feel like these chapters are short. Buuut I don't feel too inclined to make them longer, we'll see what happens I suppose. As always feel free to review, I've mentioned before but I'm winging it, and everyone is allowed to call me on my bull. Doooo ittttt. Just kidding, a little. Its late, I'm gonna stop talking now.


	34. Chapter 34

"Are you okay?" he asks demurely.

I take another breath, "Yeah, better. Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. Do you need anything? Maybe I should fetch Draco?"

"No, no, don't. I'm fine, why would you fetch him."

"Why not?"

"It's.. complicated."

"As long as no one finds out it isn't."

I take a moment to process what that means and then speak.

"You seemed to have found out," I accuse; I _wasn't_ pouting.

"Yes, but that's only because I'm really good friends with both of you idiots. Who else do you know that's friends with both you and Draco? Our groups don't mingle. Except for Luna actually, I think she's friends with Draco. Maybe. Who knows with that girl."

"Stop making sense right now, Theodore. My brain can't take it."

"Your brain could never take all this." Theo's straight faced delivery had me laughing a little too much and he seemed so silently pleased with himself, like he was preening.

His satisfied smirk did not completely vanish after I had calmed down.

"Sorry," I admitted easily, "these attacks don't seem to be going away."

"The panic attacks? No. They don't just disappear," Theo told me like it wasn't the hardest thing in the world, like it was an easy thing that he's already accepted and moved on with. It made me curious now that I had enough of my thinking capacity to be curious with. And since when did he know I had them, I was expecting him to be questioning me when I mentioned it, not just moving along with it.

"You know a lot of things mister."

"I wouldn't be the only one if more people paid attention."

"Is everything I do that see through?"

"I probably pay too much attention. You are a fascinating person, Evangeline Ann Prince, and if you ever decide to leave Draco then I would love to take you out sometime."

His face and voice was calm and steady, and I was left a little bit like a dumb-struck owl.

"Oh," I some how squeak out, "noted."

There were so many questions my brain decided not to even try to process right that second.

He chuckled and wore a soft smile, "C'mere, I'll walk you back up to the castle. The first tournament should begin soon." He stuck out a hand to help me up and I took it.

We made our way to the castle in comfortable silence and parted ways when we got inside. Well that just happened. I make my way back to the dorms with plans to find someone to walk out to the pitch with, but the place is deserted when I get there. I huff at the wasted effort halfheartedly, and make my way towards the Quidditch pitch any how.

The moving stairs are being very sassy today - they think they're funny - so it takes a little while longer to get through them all. I finally make my way outside to find too many people piled into the area for comfort; mostly my comfort, I'm still not used to so many people being around. Everyone is loud, louder than usual, and I can see the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students in little groups stuck between the regular Hogwarts students.

The stands looked pretty full from where I was on the ground, but I could probably get a seat if I could find my friends. After climbing the stairs to the Gryffindor section of yelling and screaming students I found the twins, the loudest of the yellers and screamers. They took a break from their duties to pluck me from where I stood by the stairs and squish me between them before continuing to contribute to the noise level.

I was laughing when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking behind myself, admittedly a little startled, I found Neville laughing at me and giving me a thumbs up because no words would make their way through this chaos.

Things didn't quiet down at any point, even when someone tried to announce something about starting the games, Everyone got pointedly louder until McGonagall practically told them to shut up in more polite terms.

Cedric was first, and he had the funny idea to transfigure a rock into a dog to distract the dragon. He got the golden egg out of the nest, was careful not to topple any of the real eggs, but the dragon lost interest in the not-dog-but-really-rock and came after him. He got a bit burned, but he was okay and not dead so that felt like a win.

Then it was the Delacour girl, from Beauxbaton. She got Hulk as her dragon. Hulk was

looking pretty pissed, like the other dragon had, but there wasn't anything I could do except watch. I shouldn't have been too worried because the Delacour girl just put Hulk to sleep. Which was a very good way to get what she wanted, if not for the fact that, apparently, Hulk was a snorer. She snored, and shot out a small blast of fire that caught Delacour's skirt. She put it out quickly enough, but that was probably going to cost her a few points.

Next was that guy from Durmstrang, he plays Quidditch and Ron has a fan crush on him, wouldn't shut up about him at the World Cup games. Krum? He's all muscle and scowls, he probably isn't like that all of the time; who could be all scowl-y all the time? He got the Chinese Fireball. Krum went with the conjunctivitis curse. The flipping idiot. I have half a mind to actually punch him in the face, or maybe even Ron since he thinks him so great.

Krum uses the conjunctivitis curse, which is a bloody rude curse to use on a person let alone an animal that doesn't deserve it. None of these dragons should really be here, but at least the last two players used passive ways to win. For anyone who skipped over their second year spells, the conjunctivitis curse causes something alike to pink eye. It makes everything swell until you're blind, which is distressing enough when you know whats happening.

Not only did he use the curse on the dragon, she crushed her own eggs in her panic. The thought was so horrendous, and the crowds just ooh'ed, setting my rage to a level that had me shaking. Hermione had shown up at some point and was sitting on the other side of Fred. She looked a mixture of horrified and dumbfounded and everyone looked at me with concern and something akin to trepidation except I couldn't really focus on them.

I knew my hair must look how I felt; angry, angry hair.

It took awhile for the judges to talk and write stuff and do judge-y things. I took that time to calm down and not look at the speckled horrific mess in the nest bellow, and try not to hear the pained howls from a beast that still wouldn't understand what was happening other than the fact that she lost half her children today.

I ignored everyone else and everything going on around me, ignored the concerned looks, ignored that animated talking of the crowd, ignored the clean up crew and how Charlie came with an armada to whisk away the grieving dragon. I mostly ignored these things.

By the time people were setting up the next dragon for Harry I was much calmer, the anger was mostly under the surface and my hair was less bristling. Harry did a lovely job with the Hungarian Horntail, he summoned his broom and flew circles around it until he got the golden egg. I was proud, but I was also still trying to see through the red in my eyes.

The judges announced that Harry tied first place with Krum, second was Cedric and last was Delacour.

They gave Krum the lead with Harry because they had been the most _entertaining_ and Krum had somehow still gotten the golden egg from the nest.

I think I was starting to seethe again because Fred and George were there trying to get my attention.

"Evangeline, lets go, come on. We're going to see Charlie."

Each of them take one of my hands to drag me down the stair and out behind the pitch where the cages are. I must have lost track of my emotions again because I realize half way there that people were giving me weird looks, my hair has been shifting on my head this whole time. It feels like a pissed off nest of snakes on my head, like Medusa if someone slapped her without looking and hit the snakes instead. Angry, angry hair.

I have myself under control by the time we get there, but the sound of the Dragon wailing turns my burning hatred into something so heart wrenching I almost trip and I wasn't even walking anymore.

Charlie approaches us, murmuring something to the twins but I don't even recognize the words and ask if there's anything I can do. Anything to make the pain stop, but he says there isn't. I want to ask why he did this. Why did he bring these dragons here. But I don't have the words right now so I walk away.

I want to stop thinking about it, to not have to feel all these emotions. I used to be so very good at not feeling them, at ignoring them, of keeping control of myself. That was before I accepted myself, before I realized I didn't have to be afraid of others, of myself. I still don't wish for that time back, but I do wish, sometimes, I could get back the discipline I had, if only so I didn't have to feel these emotions in full force. It's a silly thought, but one I have after a panic attack or apparently, right now.

I get that that isn't how life works, and I don't actually want it that way, ever. I wouldn't exchange all the good stuff like Fred holding my hand and George tickling me in the common room and racing Harry and the quiet moments with Draco and debates with Hermione, which is really just me humoring her and her big brain, and Neville telling me random fact about plants and Ginny bossing me around to get out of bed even though we don't share a dorm room and she just barges in. I wouldn't give all that away even if it meant I didn't have to feel this stabbing pain in my chest.

So I'll remind myself of all the good stuff and the twins will give me a too tight hug, and maybe we'll get a hot drink and cuddle on the couch and make plans for a prank so I don't stew in any of my hate for the judges and Krum's idiocy, or the sorrow of losing the dragons children. Definitely not going to think of any of that for awhile.

My plans for doing nonsense and sitting around get put on the back burner when we arrive at the common room. Apparently, everyone and their mother stopped hating Harry because they're throwing him a huge party when we get there. There's yelling and singing and wizard music and someone brought Butter Beer and the twins disappear for a bit and come back with Firewhiskey and are greeted with a great round of cheers.

I'm not really in the mood for a party, but the twins tell me it couldn't really hurt to lighten up and enjoy myself, "When was the last time you danced little rabbit? Go try to have some fun."

 **Author's Note:**

Guys. I wrote an outline. An _outline_. There are ideas for stuff like _plot_. I just need to get the ball rolling. So fucking sorry btw, I did not mean to wait another month to upload and this chapter has been written for like a week. I get distracted when I'm not busy, I work better when I have more things to do. I have so many things to do right now and I'm procrastinating by writing instead. These are bad coping mechanisms, do as I say not as I do guys.

The next chapter isn't going to get this plot ball rolling, but hopeful the one after will. Thank you to all who are still reading this car crash of a fic, hope it's still enjoyable. And if it isn't, tell me! Let me know what is making it shitty and if it isn't then tell me what you like and I can maybe add more of it in! Or you could say hello! Do you people like it better if I PM replies or when I address you at the end of a next chapter. Gosh AO3 has a better comments system, I might post this there too; what do you guys think? Ever used that place? I feel like a traitor but its nice over there.

Now I am rambling and this is much too long. Bye guys!


	35. Chapter 35

The party is just that, a party. There are drunk witches and wizards stumbling about and laughing, a couple of people in the corner making out, someone throwing up in what I hope is a trashcan and I guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Fred and George drink as they do, but unlike me they have a high tolerance for it even if they don't act like they do, the pair of drama queens. I have some Butter Beer myself but turn down the offers of Firewhisky, it doesn't even taste nice.

I think some of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students showed up, I can see them mingling in clothes that aren't school regulated; at least their uniforms aren't so classically witch-y.

The music is a little odd, as is the usual for wizard music. It sounds like something muggles listened to in an earlier era, but with lyrics that just don't make a whole lot of sense unless you're a wizard. I wonder loosely about where the music is coming from; electronics don't usually mix well with magic, I think it's because magic doesn't use electricity, it uses a different form of energy.

That's my theory at least, and now I'm curious about how muggles made up for their lack of magic by making leaps in the medical and technology fields to keep up and improve themselves. Some wizards still think that muggles are inferior, but I promise that a taser is more effective than the jelly-legs curse and it hurts a hell of a lot more.

"Is this not a fun party for you?"

I'm standing on the outside of the surging masses in a less populated corner of the room when I hear the accented voice. I think it was fair to assume it was the boy staring at me, waiting for a reply.

"Oh, uh, the parties we throw here are always fun, my friends wouldn't have it any other way. I guess I'm just not in the mood to enjoy it."

"Ah, did you not like the... games.. from earlier?"

"Those weren't games," I snap on impulse.

"Ah, not right word for it, what would be right word?"

I am instantly repentant, "Sorry, it was the first tournament..."

"Tournament. Well, not a game, games are to be fun. I wouldn't call it fun. We could have fun though, yes?"

He was hitting on me? Really? Oh. Wow, did he sound skeezy though. I know I'm sporting a blush and a grimace, but he continues.

"You are very pretty and we could have fun, if you would like." His smile was kind of leery.

"I'm just going to go," I sigh out, I was getting irritated and I didn't feel I had the energy for it.

The guy didn't say anything as I walked back into the crowd, pushing past a small group of dancers to get to the sort-of bar that the twins were manning and had probably set up themselves. A large tip jar sat to the side already half full of coins and I'm pretty sure the twins tricked everyone into tipping before handing over their drinks. That was fine, they worked hard to give everyone a fun time and were still saving up for their own joke shop.

I dropped a galleon in while they were distracted by a new customer. They would never pressure me into it or even ask, but the money goes to either new joke candies or to their own store, both of which they have asked me to help with so win win because I love helping with those tricks. Their magic was the funnest kind to play with.

They finally spot me and head over, "Heya bunny-"

"-Having fun?"

Groaning, I drop my head to the top of the bar. Good answer.

The sound of a glass hitting wood next to me got me turning my head, a Butter Beer, and George looking down at me with an indulgent smile, "We'll be wrapped up in ten," he told me conspiratorially while Fred gave the last call for drinks a small ways from us.

George stalks off to help Fred as they get a small crowd storming them. I know that they'll probably be more than just ten minutes but I don't mind since I can just give a hand and keep myself busy. I summon an empty coin bag from my room and dump their tips in it and pass the now empty jar back down the bar to give the customers a small smile.

The twins can pressure people with their tricky ways to get tips, but I use a different method, which is also kind of tricky. Ginny explained it's like a little girl selling lemonade - she used a different reference but same thing - you feel endeared to give her something and guilty if you think of just walking past her so more times than not people buy the crappy lemonade just so she won't end up looking like a kicked puppy.

I wait as people drop in coins and deliver a happy grin to each that do in thanks. It isn't hard to be sincere when I do since every coin goes to Weasley Wizard Weazzes, and that means these people are helping to fund my best friends' dream. It just isn't hard to be sincere.

After twenty minutes people start to disperse back into the party and the twins start to pack away their things and finish up in five. George has his hands full with one of those bags that's bigger on the inside, they charmed it themselves but it was off a bit so it doesn't hold everything and anything like it should and you can feel all the weight in it.

I hand off the bag of coins and the full jar to Fred and he kisses me on top of my head as he leads the way up to the boys dorm.

The magic stairs don't do that slide-y thing for me. I think it has something to do with a persons intent, but my magic has always been a little weird so who knows.

We manage our way into the boys dorm room. No one was in there when we entered, and made our way to the beds in the corner. I waited on one while they stashed the heavy bag and the coins to be counted later in trunks. When all was put away they joined me on what I think was Fred's bed; hard to tell because they sleep in the others' bed every so often to throw off people as to who is who.

Once we get all huddled onto the bed George pulls out a box of Canary Creams. These aren't _the_ Canary Creams, these are just custard creams but since the twins' success with the Canary Creams, well, the custard creams kind of just left the picture. Even if custard creams aren't the same they still get grouped with the canary ones. Poor custard creams, they're my favorite and now I can hardly accept one from any random source because of the mix up. No one can tell the difference between the two, and I helped perfect that aspect.

The twins know I like them; sometimes they sneak away to town and end up bringing back a few boxes. Don't ask what they need to sneak down to Hogsmeade for. It's a bad idea. The last time I did, Fred leered and winked at George and George blushed and shook his head mumbling about how pointless it was to have Fred as a brother. I really don't think I want to know.

I graciously take two sweets and pop both in my mouth. Ginny used to ask me how I could take anything from the twins and not question it. The twins were _always_ extra ruthless in their tricks to people who crossed them, but that was the thing, I don't ever remember the twins pranking Ginny with anything harmful or traumatic. It's just their way of saying 'hi, I love and remember you, and oh isn't this fun, I hope it made you laugh'. I remember when the twins cursed my skin to mimic my hair color at the beginning of 2nd year, back before everyone got used to having a metamorphagus around and it helped settle peoples nerves around me.

Not everyone was thrilled, some people had been kind of wary, like I could sprout fangs and bite them. It's 4th year now and we still haven't learned anything about metamorphagus' in class, so I can understand now that it was a fear of the unknown more than anything, but the small jokes helped lighten people and I am so grateful to the twins for that.

George and Fred talked about this or that, a new item under way or a bloke who needs a good laugh because he's too uptight. We're leaned against the headboard and I'm smashed between them; tucked under George's arm that stretches across Fred's shoulders, one of which is pressed against my own while three sets of feet tangle with one another. Something else I found out was that I was tactile, I think that's what Hermione called it. But what she meant was clingy.

Once I've finally chewed through the treats in my mouth I come back to the quiet chattering around me.

"Its going to be stuffy, Forge."

"That's why we're going, Gred."

"Where are we going?" Interrupting isn't rude in this safe space, it is accepted and encouraged, especially when the twins start using their mixed names. It means they are either trying to confuse people, not something they need to do right now because it never works on me, or they are disagreeing about something. That doesn't happen very often and if it does then it almost never goes far enough into the hybrid names stage.

" _We_ aren't going anywhere."

" _We_ are going to that ball."

"Okay. Well, first, ball? And second, why do we do and don't want to be going?"

"The ball was easy to figure out-"

"-Anyone who reads a book knows that the ball is going to happen-"

"-because it's the Yule Ball-"

"-and it happens alongside the Triwizard Tournament."

"Thing is, George here thinks we should go-"

"-And Fred thinks we should skip."

They speak so quickly like this, it's impressive really, but I follow along mostly. "So a ball, like fancy clothes and posh dancing and stuff?"

"Exactly! Get with the message George-y boy; _fancy_ and _posh_."

"Were you not listening when I said The Weird Sisters earlier Fred?"

"That's a wizard band, right? So, not too posh and fancy?" I ask them.

"Exactly. And if it ends up boring then we can un-bore it like we always do."

"Should I buy a dress? I probably need a dress."

"See? Why would we put on monkey suits voluntarily George?"

"You love a good monkey suit, Fred, it goes so well with your personality."

"I'm hurt that you think that George, I am, and that you think that you are any different."

"Woooah. Hey. Guys. Lets not. Why don't you really wanna go Fred?" Because these were lame excuses and we will get no where with this except with more things on fire in the end.

He sighs and hangs his head dramatically, leading me to believe that he won't answer seriously but he surprises me. "You need a date to the dance, little bunny."

There's a pause, just a bit of stillness before I answer, "So ask someone?" My question is more of a question to myself, I was doubtful as to what the problem was; Fred and George wouldn't have a problem asking someone.

Fred seemed to deflate a little and there was an undertone of disgust on his face.

"You.. don't want to ask someone to the dance?"

"Not really little rabbit. She might get the wrong idea. I don't want anything serious is all."

Both twins stare at me while I think of a reply, "You don't want anything serious.. right now?"

There was another pause, and both boys seemed kind of on edge and I couldn't quite grasp why.

George looked to Fred with a silent question with which Fred replied with a look of resignation and after a deep breath he answered, "Not ever... really."

They stared at me more intently as I processed the words. Fred didn't want a relationship with someone, didn't want to date someone, ever probably. The plan seemed to be to never really date anyone, or marry anyone by extension I would assume. Maybe.

"Do you think girls are icky? But you kiss them. George says you snog in cupboards."

The boys still seemed a bit on edge but Fred answered anyway. "Snogging and dating are different."

Of course they were different. But people tended to do both at some point; apparently, not Fred.

The question was, "Why?"

"Why are they different?" George asked, confused.

"No no, why don't you want to date, Fred?"

"It's complicated, okay not really, but people don't usually get it," he rambled.

I gave him a playful shove in the arm and a smile, "Out with it."

"Okay, so you know how you love us? And Harry and Ginny and all of your friends and family?" I gave a nod so he continued, "And have you ever had a crush on someone? Get butterfly's and wanna do mushy stuff like hold hands and such?"

I blush profusely and look away, maybe if they don't notice then they won't ask about it later, but give him a faint nod in reply.

"I don't get that feeling. The most feelings I get for someone is like how you love your friends and family."

"That's..." I wasn't sure what it was, but, "That's good if you're happy. Are you happy, Fred?" I was a little worried, what if he was unhappy with this, this whatever you call it; does it have a name? How could I help him if he wasn't happy with how he is? The twins helped me feel better about myself but I don't know how to do that.

Before I could start to really panic, because I could already feel my hair shifting colors sporadically, a pair of arms wrapped around me and Fred's voice was in my ear. "Yeah, yeah Evan, I'm happy. Very happy."

His voice sounded kind of watery like he was crying, but he also sounded kind of ecstatic. Happy crying?

"Oh, okay. That's good, I was worried for a second. Why don't you just ask someone to the dance as a friend. I'm sure there are plenty of other people who won't have someone to go with or doesn't want anything too serious either. Heck, you could take George. I bet he'd make a great date."

There was a wet laugh and murmurs of agreement before Fred pulled away and was replaced George. It felt a little surprising, it's usually me who asks and takes hugs, but I'd never say no to one either.

Once we were situated again, I popped another Canary Cream into my mouth and asked around it, "Who do you think I should take dress shopping? I don't know what to look for."

Both chuckled at me again, one still sounding a little wet, "I'm pretty sure you could ask anyone and they'd go with you. McGonagall, Hagrid - Ha, Hagrid dress shopping, _Snape_. You could probably ask Voldemort and from his grave he'd be up and asking if you'd prefer 'that blue one sequins or the lilac with frills.'"

Both laugh outright and miss my tensing up; I relaxed quickly so they didn't notice. They didn't know, I remind myself. They don't know, breath. I pop another sweet into my mouth to distract from my lack of talking while I calm down.

They start up a small game of who would be most hilarious in a dress shop, but I interrupt with, "I'm taking Dumbledore with me. He should try on a few while we're there."

After we recover from the hysterically laughter - George got pushed off the bed - we settled back down and idly gossiped like old ladies.

I woke up squished between the two Weasley boys and tried to escape them, as it was still early and no one would take notice of my leaving the boys dorm, but they refused to let go. They cling like the giant squid we have in the lake. I give up and go back to sleep, Fred and George can deal with all the drama that this could cause in the morning.

 **Author's Note:**

Longer chapter! Boom. And look at that. Fred, you sweet cupcake. If you hadn't understood I will explain briefly. Fred is aromantic. Most people have heard the term asexual, it _is not_ that if that was what you were thinking. In simple terms, asexuals aren't into sex, or maybe they are in ways from where ever they are on the spectrum, while aromantics tend not to be into romance - if you could guess that, ha. Differences being love and lust I suppose.

I just thought, Fred is a minx going around and snogging everyone, as Evan sees it, but no girlfriend or boyfriend? Why not? This is why! YAY! That is not to say that aromantics don't have relationships or date people just as I would not say that asexuals don't have sex. Because that would be incorrect of me. They just do things differently, they do what ever they are comfortable with and with whom they are comfortable doing it if that is what they want. Not dating anyone is an easy temporary fix, or maybe permanent, instead of having to explain yourself or go through the process of dating people especially if you're content with where you are in life at the moment.

Sorry for the rant, I will move on. So the Yule Ball has shown itself on the radar. Any hopes and dreams? I have an idea of what will happen, but if you wanna yell at me you are allowed, of course. The next chapter is written and just needs to be cleaned, sorry for the delay in this chapter. If you have any questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a review and let me know.


	36. Chapter 36

Classes for the rest of the week were dull, not in the sense that what we were learning was dull, but the fact that no one would stop talking about the 1st task, tournament, thingy whatever was starting to make my head pound.

They went on and on about how wonderful Harry did and how proud of the young man they were because he was the chosen one. I was right about Cedric losing his little group of puppy followers, the next day Cedric had a noticeably lesser crowd tagging him. He seemed disgruntled about it for the day but was fine after that.

I wasn't really able to talk to Draco much during the week either, even with how distracted everyone was. I know I shouldn't feel too disappointed but I was a little bit. Just a small bit.

The ball hadn't been announced that week- would probably happen that next week - and I took advantage. No one else really knows about the ball right now, but when they did they'd be down at Hogsmeade looking for something to wear. So I grabbed Ginny because her mother already sent her with a dress, and Hermione because she obviously already knew about the ball but hadn't picked a dress yet, and Luna because whatever she was wearing to the ball wasn't coming from the dress shops; that Saturday the four of us went to Hogsmeade.

 **Draco**

I wasn't surprised that father paid me a visit the weekend before the Yule Ball announcement; I would have been surprised if he hadn't. What did surprise me was that he brought mom with him. Why would he bring her?

I was expecting the usual run down, you know, who he approved of me being seen with and what was expected of me and all the other nonsense he likes to spout like I haven't known all of this since I was five. This was a little different, and a lot worrisome.

"How are your lessons, Draco?" He asked while the three of us took seats in our usual private room for parent meetings, mostly used by the rich families; I hadn't even realized that little fact until last year, that not every family can come and visit once a month or so.

"I have Excellents in all of my classes."

"That's great dear," Mother says and smiles happily.

"Yes, good, good," Father brushes past, eager to move on to another subject, "I have heard that you have a very special student attending your school."

I catch and hold my breath, putting on a firm blank mask to hide behind.

"A metamorphagus, yes? She should be in 3rd year."

He's talking about Evangeline, there aren't any other metamorphagus' in school, but she's in 4th year, same as me. He got his information wrong, he wouldn't do that, but he's looking for her. Why? Why now; she has been in school for almost 4 years, so why now? And why is he interested in her?

I realize that there was a lull in the conversation and decide to speak a small part of my thoughts, "Yes, but she's a fourth year."

That makes him frown, he wasn't expecting that, was sure that he was right, but brushes past it all the same.

"Do you know her, Draco? Metamorphagus' are very rare, such interesting beings."

Keep to our cover story I tell him, "I've bumped into her before, I think we have a class together, but not otherwise."

Mom is giving me a look, one of _those_ looks. One that makes you think she knows, she probably doesn't but she is definitely going to find out.

"And what have you heard of her," he keeps digging for information.

Even breaths, have to stay calm, "I've heard she's adopted, and she does well in her classes; the teachers like her, most people like her."

"Yes, I think she would be a top choice to join you at the ball." The corner of his mouth lifts into what would be defined as a smile, but is much more ominous and only means he's made up his mind.

My mask stays in place as I ask, "And why would that be?" Like I'm not almost sweating through this damned suit that feels way too constricting right now.

"Don't be daft, Draco, despite her unknown heritage she _is_ a metamorphagus; a black unicorn among wizards. The esteemed know it to be a honour and privilege to be in her good graces. That is what you will do, and then you will ask her to the Yule Ball. I want to know everything about her, Draco, and I will be checking later on your progress with her."

I frown at the prospect, he wants me to woo her to collect information. What is he looking for?

"Just be nice to her, Draco dear, I know you know how to be a gentleman. I hear she is a very nice girl," Mother tells me.

So father knows something, or thinks he does, and mother apparently wants me to date someone nice; this happens every time a new girl steps into her line of sight and lasts about as long as it takes for her to meet them. Mom shouldn't be a problem, not until she gets curious, but father will be.

Our conversation ends with me telling them as passively as possible that I would talk to her. As they walked away an unease was left behind in their wake, lingering in the air and settling under my skin.

 **Evangeline**

It didn't take long for the dress shop to become chaos. And if I were honest, it was mostly my fault.

I saw all the dresses and lost it a bit. I never get nice dresses, the only one the Kelpie's ever got me was that one Steve sent me for Christmas during first year. I've also never gone shopping with other girls before and I got a little over excited.

I ended grabbing more from the racks than I could carry and piled them in a changing room. Hermione took more time to pick out a few and I waited patiently, I didn't want to start without her.

I had a lot of dresses to try on so I just magicked most on and off, taking a minute to jump out to get opinions from Ginny, Luna and sometimes Hermione who was putting hers on the regular way as she tells me.

By the time I got through one pile there were dresses all over the place, it looked like a bomb of glitter, satin and lace blew up in the shop.

The dress that got the most oohs and aahs was a pink one; the top was pale white lace over an almost sheer pink cloth, a belt that was silver - almost white - and the skirt was practically molten pink metal. It was the smoothest thing I have ever touched and it was almost heavy which helped do the most magnificent twirly thing - making it look like liquid glass.

In short it was beautiful and so I had it magicked to fit me perfectly by the tailor at the shop and then I bought it.

Hermione picked an equally beautiful dress, and I think she was super happy with it if the secret smile I saw had anything to say.

We spent the rest of the day hanging around town, buying some Canary Creams - Custard Creams, dammit! - and sitting around talking and eating our sweets; the usual gossip of course.

"I heard Lavender is flirting with that Ravenclaw boy again," Ginny piped up.

"That poor boy," Hermione shakes her head sadly before we all laugh at her antics. Lavender is a known boy-eater, she goes through them like Ginny goes through pumpkin pasties, and the Ravenclaw boy in question is the shiest thing anyone has seen.

"You don't talk a lot of boys, Luna. Dating anyone nice?" Ginny asks.

"Hmm, quite," she says dreamily.

Hermione looks a bit shocked at the information, "Who?"

"Oh. I won't say. He is very shy, you see."

Ginny and Hermione looked a little put out by this, but don't press her. It is going to be a sight when Luna and Neville show up at the Ball together.

Hermione shifts gears quickly, "And what about you, Evan? Any boys of interest?"

She's looking at me like she's pressing for answers, at the same time daring me to lie.

"Not really," I tell her a half truth and look at Ginny for help. She looks worried but also like she isn't going to help me.

"Not really? No boy from, say, Slytherin house perhaps?"

"What are you on about Hermione?"

Luna pipes up breezily from between the chocolate frog in her mouth, "She's talking about how you stare at Draco Malfoy and how he stares back."

Everyone looks a little surprised at the suddenness of the statement but Hermione just picks back up after her pause, "Yeah, that."

She looks at me waiting for her answers and as Ginny is leaving me to my own devices I find my voice again but look away as I say, "Nothing to tell."

"Wrong. Spill it."

"I- there's just- it won't go anywhere anyway so why are we talking about this."

"Because you like him," she states bluntly.

"No, I don't." Deny it until it goes away.

"And why does he stare at you," she continues without recognizing that I spoke.

"He doesn't."

"He never looks forlorn or pining or anything, just cold. Cold stares. What's that about?" Now she's just thinking out loud.

Ignore it until it goes away: The revised edition. "Hey Ginny, pass me a pumpkin pasty."

"Sometimes he looks like he's going to storm over all angry and brooding to yell at you."

"More like to snog her," Ginny snorts, and now I know why she was keeping her mouth closed.

"No, that can't be it. That's kind of preposterous."

"What about you, Hermione, any boys on your mind?" Distraction tactic.

She blushes and looks away, "I don't know what you mean." Mission success!

Ginny joins in on the poking and prodding this time before we decide to head back up to the castle.

We're walking towards the Great Hall when we pass Draco, looking more internally stormy than usual. He looks at me for a second, but I have to tread carefully with Hermione looking on like a hawk. I, as discreetly as possible, hold up the universal sign for 'wait a moment' behind Luna's back, hidden away from Hermione's prying eyes.

As soon as we round a couple corners I make the excuse to use the loo before heading to dinner, Hermione gives me a look like she was about to question me but drops it.

I do head in the direction of the bathrooms at first but then make a mad dash back to where I hope Draco is waiting for me.

He's leaning against the wall next to a window, fading sunlight and torches lighting the hall when I get there.

"What's wrong?" I ask, panting a bit from running.

He grabs my wrist and tugs me along into the nearest cupboard. As soon as the door shuts he seems to breath a little easier.

"So there's been a development," he tells me warily.

I kind of want to reach out and give him a hug, he looks like he needs one, but this conversation also seems important so I refrain for the moment.

"Do you know about the Yule Ball?"

I give him a small nod in reply and he continues.

"My parents came to talk to me about it today."

He seems to be having a hard time saying whatever is on his mind and I decide to wait him out.

After a breath he continues, "My father hinted at knowing you were here, and he seems more than a little interested."

It takes a moment for the implied information to sink in. Draco's father was a death eater and he was with the death eaters that attacked the World Cup festivities; the ones that were there to support their twisted beliefs and their Dark Lord. I can practically feel my skin crawl, it almost feels like deja vu, but it's not because I know where this leads eventually.

"Okay... and what did he want?"

"He wanted me to talk to you, to get closer to you, tell him things about you."

"That's creepy." I look to the ground and bite the inside of my lip while Draco waits for more of a reaction.

"You have to tell him something. You could find out stuff about me without even talking to me so he'd know you weren't trying if you didn't give him anything. Did he say anything else?"

"He made this weird comment, thought you were in 3rd year."

I look up quickly at this, very very surprised. Lucius Malfoy knows my age - what year I should be in - and I don't tell people about the fact that I came to school early. The twins know along with several Weasley's, Harry, and Neville, but it isn't something people just know.

"How does he know that." I hadn't really meant to say that out loud but continue on anyway, "I'm _supposed_ to be a 3rd year, but I got invited early. How does he know that?"

Draco looks very unsettled by the prospect, but forges ahead and just absorbs the new knowledge without blinking, "I told him that you were a 4th year, he didn't seem happy at the idea. Maybe we should keep it that way for as long as possible, throw him off of whatever it is he's looking for."

"Okay, yeah. What should we give away, maybe you should just ask around about me and tell him what you find with just that at first, it sounds kind of silly but it could work. You could start to say hello to me in front of people every so often. If he knows about my age I wouldn't doubt that he'll be watching what happens here like a snake. Ha, snake because-"

Draco gives me a look that's telling me this isn't the time.

"Right, sorry. Does that sound like an okay plan though? I don't know what else we could do other than start to look friendly."

"You know people are going to talk."

"The only reason we can't talk in public is because we were hiding me from your father, but now he knows. We can't just go from zero to a hundred in front of the public though, people would question it."

"Alright, okay. We can start when ever a good time is, during a class maybe or in the Great Hall."

"Alright. Cool. This is a thing we're doing. Okay."

Draco sends a sly smile that feels more soft than sharp, "Don't be scared Evangeline. Only a step at a time."

"Step at a time. Right, we've got this." I give him my most determined look and he laughs slightly, but refrains from smiling; he doesn't do that too often, but it feels like winning a Quidditch game when he does.

With a quick hug - I think both of us could do with a little comfort, this is bound to be a trying week - I rush off to the Great Hall to catch up with my friends wondering how they would take to Draco talking to me like it was a regular occurrence. Whether they know it was or not. I know a few people who really won't take well to this. They'll understand eventually, I hope it'll be sooner rather than later.


	37. Chapter 37

It had been a few days since Draco and I talked about our new plans to deal with his father's curious eyes. So far he has said hello to me in the library and ended up talking to me in Care of Magical Creatures about our studies on Dragons and their different temperaments, talked to me after dinner and was currently walking with me to Transfiguration's.

"So have your friends asked you about us yet," he asks.

"Not really, a few have given me a weird look or two though."

"They'll say something eventually I'm sure. How are you doing?"

I start retelling the story about George dancing with a transfigured Frog-Fred in the halls earlier that day, and I realize that it's kind of amazing and refreshing that we can talk about mundane stuff in the halls.

Entering class I notice again that we don't have to act like we showed up separately and it sends a warm tingle under my skin.

McGonagall stands in the middle of the room, cleared of desks, and urges people to their seats, dividing the class by gender, with a big old fashioned turntable behind her.

As soon as she starts talking I realize that this is the announcement about the Yule Ball. What I didn't know was that we were to be given fancy dance lessons in preparation for the fancy Ball.

She makes a show of picking on Ron a bit before telling us to partner up. I look for the twins and see Fred making his way to me through the milling kids who are apparently still deciding who to dance with.

A hand grabs my wrist and I turn to see Draco looking down at me impassively as possible, "Dance with me."

It was more of a statement, almost a demand, but with a question in his eyes. I nodded my head in assent, why not, this could be interesting.

The pins and needles feeling of being watched is ever present as McGonagall directs everyone into the right positions. Draco gives me some silent help of where to stand and what to do with my hands. Music starts to play through the room and he slowly leads me through the first few steps.

The rest of the class is spent like this and people are still looking by the time we finish up and leave for lunch. Draco goes with a few friends who give him a pointed look but say nothing, I feel less lucky as I see the twins, Ron and a slower Harry advancing on me and my hair starts to straighten out and darken to a deep blue in trepidation.

"Evan-"

"Ms. Prince," McGonagall calls for me and I feel only a small relief at the brief reprieve this could give me.

She calls me over and my hair lightens slightly in hope that this wasn't about Draco while the Weasley's give me a look and file out the door followed by a suspicious looking Harry Potter.

"Yes Miss?"

"Is this something to worry about?"

"This, Ms. McGonagall?"

"With Draco Malfoy, don't play dumb Ms. Prince, you know very well what I am talking about."

I take a second to choose what to say. I know she's trustworthy, but she can't know yet; I don't know what other people knowing would do. I'll have to be vague, but someone could be listening in, the twins are notorious for eaves dropping.

I give her the universal 'wait a second' sign then cup my hands in front of my face - like people do when its cold out and you're trying to breath life into them - and whisper as quietly as possible. The words and soft magic I gather there swirls into a mist in my hands until I blow it over to a dubious looking teacher.

I feel my eye shift a pale lavender color as I direct the cloud to her ear and release it so she hears my short message.

"Everything I see has to happen." She gives me a look, like she can guess what I'm talking about mixed with a curious and awed expression that I don't quite understand.

I say out loud this time, "No Miss, everything's fine," and give her a soft and hopefully reassuring smile.

"Hmm, very well Ms. Prince," she delivers what could almost be a smirk, "I do believe your friends are waiting for you outside. You may go to lunch now."

Sighing, resigned, I wave goodbye before hefting the door open only to be cornered by a couple of ginger headed boys with a mission, no Harry in sight.

"What was that?!" Ron shouted eloquently.

The twins seemed to forgo words in exchange for staring until I threw up answers to their silent, yet demanding, questions.

"The... dancing?" Yes, I was aware that trying to avoid the obvious would get me no where, but it made me feel a little better.

"Yes, the dancing! The dancing with Draco-Freaking-Malfoy!"

"He asked me to, I said yes." That might have been the obvious part.

"WHY? Why would he ask you! Why would you say yes!?"

The twins are still quiet, still just staring, a little too calculating, and just lingering in the background. They don't seem as upset as Ron, they aren't mad, but they still have questions I suppose.

"First, I am a catch Ronald Weasley," I try a joke, it doesn't work, "And he was nice enough to ask, why would I say no?"

"He is the _enemy_ , the bane of our existence. You don't just canoodle with the enemy!"

"I know you guys don't get along," he scoffs derisively, "but he's not so bad really. He just doesn't know how to talk to people."

" _Talk_ to people? He _talks_ plenty, Evan!"

"Okay, well, he doesn't talk to me like that and when was the last time he was rude to you? I know he was really mean to Hermione, but she punched him in the face so I think they're even."

"Are you defending him right now?!"

"No, he use to be really rude, but he isn't so bad now. He's been quite nice actually."

"Probably because he wants something from you!"

"If he needs something then he can ask nicely and I can see what I could do to help."

"Not that kind of something! Evan! UHG."

"I think you're being a little silly Ron."

"Evangeline, you are talking about the largest arse alive not being a bloody bad person and you think I'm silly? Are you on drugs!?"

"No, but you might be if you think yelling at me is okay. Relax, Ron, it isn't a big deal."

"People have been saying that you two have been talking," he accuses.

"We say hello, I think he asked me for notes once. What's the big deal?!"

"The big deal is that he has been nothing but a brat and a bully since first year!"

"Maybe for you, you guys have this family dispute going on! My first day here I tripped and he helped me up, I don't see how he can be all bad like you seem to want to believe!"

"You don't _know_ him! You can't possibly know who he really is!"

"Then neither can you Ronald! Nothing is in black and white, _there is always more that you can never know and for you to say that you do is a crime against the fates that decide and shape our futures, the paths we take. You offend the stars by assuming to know more than they!_ "

I'm breathing heavily when I realize that I was practically screaming and my hair is trying to turn white, fading until all color is lost, and I pull back as fast as I can from where ever I went but the twins have noticed and Ron looks confused.

"Blimey, what was that?"

"Sod off, Ronald Weasley."

I dash down the hallway before he can say anything else. I know the twins might ask about it later but they'll give me space for now.

I can hear the remnants of their conversation floating down the hall while I walk quickly to get lunch. 'What was that?' 'Don't worry about it mate. She just needs to catch her breath.' 'The stars? What does that even mean!'

I focus on my breathing so I don't look so flustered when I get to the Great Hall, I don't know how well it worked since everyone is looking at me when I walk in. That might be because of the Draco thing though – word travels fast.

I ignore them and head over to my table where I can see Hermione and Neville chatting and eating.

They stare for a second as well, but end up passing me some plates of sandwiches and little cakes as they keep talking about the next Herbology assignment.

It's a nice reprieve, as much as they want to know whats got me worked up, or maybe why people keep whispering and pointing, they know to give me a moment to calm down and I am very grateful to have such good friends.

The rest of the day is spent with whispers I ignore and the odd poke in my direction about Draco, usually from a Slytherin. They seem to find it odd that their cold prince would show any interest in someone, let alone a Gryffindor considering our house competition.

The day is long and when I run into Draco on my way back to the Gryffindor tower I hear about his day as well, about the same as mine, but less people were brave enough to actually voice anything. He says it's because I'm more of a welcoming person. I say it's because he's so scary with his mean scowl.

He knows I don't like drama, it's tiring, and so he gives me an extra long hug that makes me want to just fall asleep standing up before he has to go himself.

I want to hope this doesn't last long, but I have a feeling that would be a false hope. The thought makes me even more tired as I collapse into bed.

 **Authors Note:**

Whoop whoop! I meant to upload this earlier, but I hadn't the time to write and I like to write a chapter or two ahead before I put something new up. The next chapter is almost done and I hope to start on the next so you can have another in a short while. I hope that sentence made any sense at all.

I have started outlining other stories, which actually helps me to write since I can bounce between subjects if I get stuck or bored. One is an original little thing I might not upload and nothing is substantial enough to mention so I won't but I will if there is. BYE. (In my head I said all of this very quickly, like in one whole breath. I dunno why but my brain is freaking wired and I have to sleep soon sooo good luck me.)


	38. Chapter 38

It's difficult, just a small bit, when everyone keeps staring. It reminds me of roaming eyes and self conscious thoughts, of hating myself because I didn't understand and then hating myself because no one else would understand either. This last week has been a blinding reminder of a time before I realized a lot of things that are incredible important to me now and are still important to remember.

On the other hand, Draco reminds me of those important things. He reminds me of the good and, at the same time, the me from before now that was hiding and he makes working towards being okay, being better, so much more than it would have been without him.

I had a lot of slip ups during the few weeks after we went public about being friends, times where I would start to panic, or times I acted a little too familiarly with Draco than I should to everyone's looking eyes. But we successfully built up what looked to be, to everyone else, a budding friendship, I hope.

We very slowly started spending more time with each other. Started talking more openly about our day to day, and it was... _good_. It was really, _really_ good. It was being more content in our skin even if he still tried to hide behind his walls, it was breathing easier and relaxing more, it was being comfortable.

There was still everyone else to contest with, even our friends. Draco's little group tended not to question him too intensely, while some Slytherin's did just that. Those that did got cut down swiftly, I had seen it myself when I was on my way to Care of Magical Creatures.

I don't know who she was, but she wasn't happy with what she called 'House Disloyalty'. She spit words like the best of them, but all Draco did was give her a bored look worthy of Theo's passive demeanor. She wouldn't relent and all he told her was that she would never survive in the real world with naive brevity and traitorous words against the actions of House Malfoy. He left her with that, staring dumbly as he walked away.

There was also my friends and House to contend with; Harry skulked about, but mostly avoided me in favor of having more tiffs than usual with Draco, Ron gave me menacing looks but otherwise ignored me, Neville didn't question it much since he already knew Draco and me were talking, and the twins and I had a conversation about it – like adults, well, sort of – while curled up on one of their beds.

"So what's up with you and Malfoy." Subtle as usual, Fred.

"I think we're friends."

"Friends?"

They knew I held friends in a high regard – I didn't consider everyone my friend, although I had met almost everyone in the castle – and I had basically announced to them that I added a new family member to our ragtag group.

"Yeah. Friends."

"Just friends then?"

"What else would we be?"

"What George was really asking was if you were snogging him."

"I was not askin- "

"Yes. You were."

"No, I was- okay, maybe I was. So are you?"

If I wasn't so use to their bickering I might have gotten lost in translation some where, "No.. why would we-"

"Because he looks like he wants to snog you-"

"-But if he does something you don't approve and won't back off then-"

"-Hit him as hard as you can in the bollocks. He deserves it if he pulls something like that."

Fred winces at what I am guessing was some hard to swallow imagery. They're just trying to show they care, even if we both know lessons in self-defense aren't really necessary for me, it's a nice gesture and I love them for it.

Everything seemed to settle after a few weeks, as settled as things could be since people still talked about how freaking controversial a friendship was between a Gryffindor and Slytherin. Draco and I could walk around freely together now and we often took lunch together in the courtyard or in the library; unfortunately not in the Great Hall because we didn't want to start a fight if either of us sat at the "wrong" table, people were a little on edge at the moment.

Besides all the social aspects of life, things were quiet. My panic attacks weren't happening often and the future stayed quiet. Until I woke up sweating in the middle of the night.

It wasn't even a bad vision or anything, I still woke up in a frenzy and I couldn't understand why. The less pressing premonitions don't do this to me, and yet here I am freaking out about seeing what looked like some good old fashioned comradery.

It's late, I know it's late, it can't be less than midnight, but I also can't sleep now. The curtains on my bed are drawn, a precaution for nights like these as well as the silencing charm around me. I slip out of bed and quietly slip on my worn boots, which makes my baggy pajama bottoms bunch together but now they won't drag and make noise and grab my soft, purple jumper that Molly gave me for my birthday before slipping out the door.

The common room looks empty, but there's a girl asleep on the couch with books strewn on the table in front of her that I slip by on my way out. The corridor is cold and drafty and I am super glad I sleep in my fuzz socks or my feet would freeze off out here otherwise.

I hadn't really known what I was going to do, but decide quickly and head down the stairs that are barely moving, sluggish, as if half asleep.

The dungeons are colder than I remembered, but almost none of the torches and warming charms are active during the night time so I should have known, I think this to myself as a shiver escapes my control.

A staircase stops at a dead end wall, it looks like a dead end anyway, but Draco is sleeping in there somewhere; how to get to him? Maybe the door would let me in, it isn't like our portrait who can talk but it is apart of the castle and the castle can make its own decisions. I can't send my Mumbling Mist – isn't that a cool name – through an enchanted wall, but once it opens I could.

I put my hand against the wall and try to mentally convey my need for the wall to open up. _I just need to talk to Draco, I don't even need to go inside I just need you to be open for a minute so I can send my message please, pretty please. I just need to talk to him, please open._

I wait for a few minutes and it still hasn't opened so I drop my hand, resigned to think of something else. The wall seems to think otherwise and a corridor quietly appears before me.

Yes! I quickly sit down in front of the new corridor – criss-cross of course – and focus on speaking into my cupped hands.

" _Draco.. Wake up. Come downstairs. Wake up, wake up, wake up. Come on Draco, pretty please with cherries wake up._ "

Once I was satisfied with the length of the message that the tiny bit of mist could speak, I sent it on its way, next was the harder part.

I felt my eyes shift colors and closed them, looking through my little cloud as I moved it into the Slytherin common room. I found the dorms and checked through each door, drifting under the bottoms and looking at name plates and faces until I was able to find Draco and released the little cloud.

Once I let go of it I opened my eyes to find the wall in front of me again, all I could do now was wait.

Less than five minutes later the corridor opened again and Draco came out looking tired and a little worried.

We walked in silence until we found a cupboard, empty of anything but some dust bunnies; neither of us felt like talking in the openness of the halls even if there wasn't anyone wandering in the dead of night besides us.

He cast a quiet lumous before speaking, "What's wrong?"

What was wrong, was there something wrong? There was, but– ," It's actually kind of silly, now that I think about it. Probably, could have waited 'till tomorrow."

"Well. We are here now. Might as well." He gave a small smile, looking a little less concerned than before.

"I just had another vision, sight, premonition, whatever, and it was just a little weird is all."

"Weird? Want to elaborate?"

"It was just– not bad in the slightest, but I woke up in a panic. I calmed down but the whole thing didn't make sense and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"There wasn't anything upsetting about the sight?"

"No, just– it was actually kind of nice. Like a happy, cheerful, victorious moment and-," I contemplate if I should say what it was or not, but the vision was actually kind of harmless, "-it was just Harry and Cedric in front of a crowd, a hedge behind them, with their hands thrown up, smiling at each other and everyone cheering. I don't know who won, but they were friends at the end of it is what I saw.

"But then I got this feeling, like falling while someone watched, and I startled awake like I'd been slapped and... I dunno, it just got me really freaked out and confused because the normal, mundane dreams don't usually wake me up, even if they are visions."

"What do you think it means?"

"I'm not sure if it meant anything, really. I just kind of wanted to talk, calm my nerves."

He hummed and we both just stood there a moment. Talking to Draco had made me feel better, but I was still unsettled and I felt a twinge of guilt for waking him in the middle of the night over nothing.

He silently pulled me forward for a hug, knowing that physicality was a comfort for me – for both of us, even if he wouldn't say so.

It was odd, my forehead laid against the bottom of his chin and I wondered how much taller he would grow. The future, although I could see it, was a vague mystery to me. A puzzle with pieces missing, pieces that were blurred or hidden; knowing parts of it scared me all the more, working to put that puzzle together in the dark, and if I failed then people would die.

People would still die anyway.

He was warm against me, a contrast to the frigged air. It helped me feel a little less weighed down, like maybe the responsibility wasn't too much to hold.

 **Author's Note:**

…..Okay. So. It has been.. all summer? All summer. And I haven't updated. Well. Very sorry. More updates soon? As long as my sister reminds me that is.


	39. Chapter 39

It was nice not having to sneak around, a relief to something I didn't know had pressure on it. It's what I thought telling everyone about being a Seer would feel like. Some people wouldn't be so thrilled, some would be weird or creepy about it or ask too many questions, and some would just move along like it had been obvious.

It was also nice to spend more time with Draco, though the people in the 'not thrilled' category were _really_ not so thrilled.

Ron was pretty vocal and liberal with insults; apparently, with Draco as the main star and me in the supporting role.

It was mostly just low blows, cowardly mumbled words that were nothing but childish. Those I could deal with, although everyone else stopped talking to him because of it. Hermione gave him third degree with her cold shoulder, Ginny full on hexed him when she heard him try to talk trash about me like I wasn't just standing there, Harry even stopped including him in his day-to-day for taking out his – weirdly misplaced – anger on me.

There were others that weren't happy about Draco and I being friends, but they usually stuck to sending scathing looks.

Other than that I was having a good time. Draco kept helping me practice my dancing; there was only one dance class a week and the rest of the time we were left to practice on our own.

The next few weeks were interesting, boys started asking girls out to the ball, slowly but surely. It was tradition for boys to ask girls, but there were plenty of girls who asked out a few boys themselves. It was odd to have boys ask me to the dance.

I was reading in the courtyard when I felt a tap at my shoulder, I might not have looked up until I finished the sentence I was reading.

When I did I found Ravenclaw clothes wrapped around a Ravenclaw boy.

"Uhh." My eloquence in full swing.

"Hi, uhh, I'm James."

"Hi?"

"Oh, we met once on the Express. I see you around a lot."

"Huh, James. Well, it's nice to see you again." I tried really hard to not make that sound like a question. I vaguely remembered bumping into each other at the trolley, but that's all and I wasn't sure what he was coming to say hi for.

"Yeah. And, I was just wondering, if perhaps you would go to the Ball with me?"

Oh.

"Oh."

That wasn't in my realm of expectations.

"Well, I think it very kind of you to ask, but no thank you." I didn't know what else to say exactly.

He looked so sad, I felt really bad about being the one to make him so, but it was the same answer either way.

"I see... thank you anyway."

And that wasn't the last time someone asked me. Ginny never questioned why I kept declining the offers, but Hermione constantly asked why I said no to everyone and what I was going to do, go to the Ball alone?

"Maybe, yeah?"

"What?!"

"I'm not going to go with someone I won't have fun with _or_ someone who I barely know. Fred and George already have dates, Neville does too. Don't even ask about Ron right now and I think Harry is asking someone today. It isn't the worst thing in the world to go alone, there will be plenty of people to talk to when I get there." I didn't bother mentioning Draco, I wasn't sure where we stood on the matter of the ball, if he had a date.

Hermione seemed suspicious about my lack of concern with turning down every boy that asked me, but that still didn't change my answer.

Well. Until I started asking instead of answering.

Recently it had been harder for me to sleep throughout the night and I've been waking up around three or four a.m. and just staying awake. It doesn't matter if I'm dreaming or not, but I wake with a jolt, panic rising in my chest. I told Draco about it and for the last few days we've been spending the early mornings sitting around somewhere or other, talking and just abiding our time.

This particular morning marked the day that Harry would ask Miss Cho Chang out, and then be turned down because he waited too long. If he had asked her three days earlier she would have said yes. Of course, no one knows that and I only know it because I got two dreams about it.

One dream was of her saying yes, that one happened when the Ball was announced, the other happened tonight. I didn't need that dream because Cho had been talking about Cedric asking her out for the last few days, but it happened anyway and I woke up the same way I had been for the last week.

Draco and I had gone to steal some snacks from the kitchens the same morning I had the dream of Cho, but some of the elves had already been working in there including a friend of mine, Alps.

Alps was a good house elf, and he helped me out every now and then with little things. Sometimes he popped in to check on me himself, always polite and always very kind.

When Alps found us in the kitchen at such an odd hour he was curious but didn't ask about it. Though he was very insistent about make us some food, and ended up giving us some chocolate muffins upon my asking if there were any.

The only reason I ask him for things, though it bothers Hermione to no end, is because it makes him happy; it pleases him to helps others and sometimes I can get him to smile a small bit.

After getting a couple of muffins we set out to wander and ended up out front of the castle. It was still dark, dark enough to see the stars; you could almost see them twinkle against the lakes surface and the air was cool and clear.

We sat there a long while and just ate in silence. Not a word was spoken until sunlight started to bleach the horizon.

"Has anyone asked you to the Ball?" I was surprised that I had asked such a question, it hadn't been on my mind until just now and as my brain to mouth filter didn't see a need to work today the outcome was blunt.

He looked only a little startled, "Not really. People in Slytherin stick rather strictly to tradition."

Tradition being boys asked girls, no one would be asking him to the Yule Ball; girls in Gryffindor didn't have any problem asking someone to the dance, but they don't seem to care much for tradition either.

"I'm sure people have asked you," he continued, "Who have you said yes to?"

"Nobody."

He seemed a little surprised at that, "None of your friends have asked you? What of the twins or Ron or even Harry? Maybe that Neville boy, there are plenty of people in Gryffindor alone that would be happy to go with you."

"George is going with Angelina, I think he has a crush on her, and Fred got asked by one of his friends. You know Ron and I aren't getting along right now, that twit can't see in front of his own face sometimes. Neville is going with his girlfriend, though that isn't public knowledge just yet, and Harry... I don't know. Harry is going to be all torn up after today, don't ask but someone he's rather fond of is going to say no to him when he asks her.

"I just don't want to go with someone that I don't know well. It wouldn't be as much fun, I'd rather show up on my own."

He hummed his agreement and we watched the sky get lighter even as the sun stayed hidden and out of view.

"Say, Draco?" He hummed again. "Would you fancy going to the Yule Ball with me?"

Now he looked really startled.

"You're asking me?"

"Yeah."

"To the Ball?"

"Mm-hmm."

"As friends or as a date?"

"Both? I dunno, I hadn't thought that far."

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'll go to the ball with you."

"Oh! This will be so much fun! I heard the Weird Sisters will be playing and we already know how to dance with each other and-"

"-Should we tell our friends?"

"….Maybe we could just leave it as a surprise? Neville and Luna are doing that, but I don't think that will cause any kind of uproar like we might cause. I'd rather deal with the drama when it can't hit us full force, when everyone will be distracted by the dance. Of course they'll say something afterwards, but I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you know my father wanted me to ask you to the dance. I think it's part of his plan to do who knows what. I was just going to tell him that someone else asked you first. I'm worried about what he wants with you."

"We'll figure it out eventually. All of it. At least, I hope we can."

"If anyone can make sense of it that would probably be you. Maybe you don't have to, things might just happen anyway."

"I'm worried about that. Really worried. You remember my first vision and prophecy, but I don't. All I remember is the dread and the panic and the anguish. And I've had visions that are worse than just unpleasant, I can remember some of them, but the worst ones I only have a vague impression of. I wonder if they'll all happen. If all I can do is watch."

We sat in silence awhile; I wasn't expecting him to have an answer, I just wanted to talk about it and he knew that.

"I've stopped going to Dumbledore about my visions, I never did give him the entirety of them to begin with. It doesn't feel right to tell of the future and past. It isn't right, so I stopped. I've told him that I stopped having them."

"I don't trust that old man."

"I don't think I trust him either. I can trust that he will do whatever he can to stop what I see in the future, but that is a dangerous, dangerous thing to do. I hope to change things as well, but I wish to do it safely. I do not think he has the same trepidation to knowing the future."

The sun was finally coming up, not that we could see it, all we could see was the light taking away the dark and with it the stars. Balance. Couldn't have one without losing the other.

Eventually we went back indoors; had to get back to the dorms and get ready for class, hopefully before too many people woke up to question why I was up earlier than even the earliest risers.


	40. Chapter 40

It was only a few days until the Yule Ball, and everyone was either too excited or too unenthusiastic. Some people just weren't happy with going to a dance. Probably because they hadn't acquired a date, but I'm not about to point it out to anyone.

Hermione kept giving me glances over the next day, suspicious of Draco and me. I'm sure she'll be satisfied when the ball comes around and she's proven right about whatever she thinks is going on.

It was starting to become difficult to spend time outside as the days got colder. I missed the forest, but the castle was alive in its own way, and I spent my time sitting in my favorite window cubby with Draco just reading, talking, and studying until it was the day of the Ball.

The day the dance was to take place, classes were canceled. People wanted time to get ready – mainly the girls, but most everyone supported less class time.

I got dressed and finished my make-up – the muggle kind mixed with a little magic – and made my escape from the over filled room of girls, glitter, and giggling.

I found most of the boys waiting downstairs in the common room.

"Yo, Bunny!"

"Lookin' hot Evangeline!"

"Stop defiling the innocent, Finnegan!"

They were in stitches by the time I walked over to the twins who happened to have made a space for me between them.

We talked about who everyone thought the surprise band would be – I wasn't going to tell and ruin the surprise – and who was taking who to the Ball tonight. Neville wasn't going to say, though he told me beforehand, that he was taking Luna, and they were coming out as a couple. When people asked me Fred told them I was going by myself like a proud wizarding woman, and he looked rather surprised when I corrected him. "I actually asked somebody recently. They said yes, so - "

" - What!"

" - Who did - !"

" - You asked - "

" - A Ravenclaw - ?"

" - When did - "

"Shut your traps!"

I waited patiently after George shouted for everyone to quiet down. Finnegan raised his hand like we were in class and I nodded my head to him, so he asked, "Who's the bloke ya taking and why is he so special. I heard you kicking up a fuss about not wanting to go with some tosser, but we know you ain't takin' none of us here, so who is he?"

The room turned to me expectantly, "Good question," I nod my head sagely, "and you will have your answer later at the Ball."

The collective groans were amusing, but the twins' side-eyes of wisdom were less so. They probably had me figured out already and were going to be cross that I hadn't mentioned it before. Especially so if they found out that Neville, Luna, and Ginny all basically knew before them.

Everyone chattered on for awhile longer until some of the girls started to trickle down the stairs. Pairs started to leave together, and others had already left to meet up with someone in another house. I excused myself from the dwindling group and left as well while getting another glance from the twins that I decided to ignored for now.

Walking down through the castle in a fancy dress was odd, and wearing heals was even odder though the stairs seemed to take pity on me as I made my way down them.

A few halls before reaching my destination I met with my accomplice for the night.

He stared for a few seconds before a slow grin creeped across his lips and walked over to me with his everyday natural elegance and superiority to his step.

His robes were black on black with a grey vest and a silver tie making him look like a dark prince, regal and as put together as he always seemed to be.

When he greeted me he was formal but soft with a smooth touch to my hand and a light gracing of lips on my cheek.

"Ready to out ourselves to everyone we know?" Draco was as forward as ever. I really quite liked when he was.

"Let's do it," and with that we left for the Great Hall.

 **Author's Note:**

THIS IS FOR BECCA. Thank you for the nice review. This is a short chapter, I know, but the big dance and all its glory will be coming up next! Very soon! Be excite!


	41. Chapter 41

As we stood outside the doors nerves crept into my limbs. All of my friends were just behind that simple block of wood, and soon they would know that Draco and I were serious about being around each other. The whole school would know, and even if we hadn't fleshed out what kind of relationship this was yet, we knew neither of us were letting it go.

Draco must have felt me tense because he sent me a reassuring glance that spoke of confidence beyond what I could muster. The door in front of us opened nonetheless, and I quickly took Draco's arm as faces of the student body revealed themselves. Shocked faces that began to whisper and, I'm sure, gossip.

I looked for my friends in the crowd. A few were obvious to spot. Ginny was smiling and shooting me a thumbs up. Hermione seemed to radiate I-Knew-It. Luna and Neville gave an encouraging wave, and the twins sat grumbling to each other in a corner. Then there was Ron who looked fit to explode, and Harry who seemed to challenge the meaning of being alive. He was seriously pale and was sporting a glare befitting the devil himself.

We made our way into the crowd to watch the first dance, ignoring the whispering as we passed people by. I watched Harry as he danced with Parvati Patil. He was a little stiff; I don't think he was very prepared for dancing in front of everyone.

When people started to join in, Draco and I began dancing as well. I think we were both avoiding the confrontation for as long as we could. Dancing was also a great distraction. Draco was a really good dancer, and every move we made felt smooth. The song did eventually come to an end, no matter how long these classical songs could last, and we made our way off the dance floor to take a moment to breath.

This is when Harry stormed his way over to us.

"What the hell is this?!" Harry hisses.

Draco doesn't look too happy, and I can see he's holding back, " _What_ in the world are you on about, Potter?"

"I wasn't talking to you, Malfoy. What is this about, Evangeline? Is he threatening you? Is that why you're here with him?"

"What?" I can feel the scowl forming in my face. "That's absurd. I've been friends with Draco for a while now. Where would you get such an idea, Harry?"

"He. Is. A. Snake! Evangeline. I thought you were talking to him because you're too nice to say no."

"Since when do I have trouble speaking! And, I like Draco. We get along. That's why he's my date tonight. Do you really think I would let anyone bully me," I started to yell. Not like anybody could hear me over the music.

"So you, what, just said yes when he asked you to the dance with flowers and a stupid smirk?!"

"I. ASKED. HIM. HARRY POTTER. You keep acting like Draco is the root of all evil, but have you looked at yourself lately. Like right now. You don't get to tell me who I can or can't talk to or who I get to be around or who I even remotely associate with!"

"Well if that's how you feel," Harry sneers.

I really couldn't say another word or I might rip Harry's head off. I turned to Draco instead and offered him my hand. He took it quickly, and as I led us away he interlaced our fingers and gave my hand a squeeze in support.

It was obvious that everyone had noticed not only the fight, but also the hand holding. I got my temper under control, and reasoned that Harry had a problem that he could deal with on his own if he wanted to act that way. I wasn't going to let him ruin the dance; I _was_ having fun earlier even with all the gossip.

Next we got accosted by Hermione who also happened to be with Krum and Ginny. They gushed over my dress, even though they were there when I bought it, and then told Draco how handsome he looked who replied in kind. Seriously, if Hermione and Draco could play nice then Harry could have too.

A few other people stopped to talk to us while we got drinks at the snack bar. Most were just curious and harmless. A few wanted to know if we were dating. Draco seemed amiable to the idea and just shrugged while smiling. I smiled back and just like that we were a proper thing, apparently. That was easier than expected. We would probably talk about it more later, but for now the Weird Sisters had come out.

Draco wasn't really one for non-traditional dancing, but I coaxed him anyhow. It reminded me of a muggle club with the colored lights, loud music, and the large amount of people dancing. In formal dance you can get close together, but this was a different kind of close.

Draco was a little stoic even with everyone laughing and moving around him. I eventually got him to relax, but his dancing stayed minimal. Which was fine because he seemed to be enjoying himself anyway. I, on the other hand, let loose a little. I was curious and it was too tempting of a situation to pass up, so I got as close as I could and danced. His eyes widened, but then he caught on and tightened his grip on me.

It was interesting and thrilling. I'd never considered this before, but it didn't feel bad in the least. It was overwhelming but good.

Draco's hands stayed at my waist, though they changed grip, and they never strayed lower.

The rest of the Ball was actually nice. Both of our groups of friends made an effort to get along, well, except Pansy. Draco didn't seem too keen on talking to her, and he hadn't told me that they were fighting either. I don't think Draco had ever talked to me about his friends before, now that I think about it. Maybe I could ask him later.

As the party winded down, people started to drift off back to the dorms. Draco and I were sitting at one of the tables. A plate of sweets between us as we talked. It really wasn't much different from what we did on a normal day. There was some light music in the background, instruments playing themselves, and couples or people huddled together sparingly. It was a lot more quiet than earlier, calmer.

Until there was some shouting coming from the main doors. It looks like Ron was picking a fight again. This time it was with Hermione; she didn't deserve having her night ruined. I couldn't do anything about it. The matter was personal and she was already storming off by the time I realized what was happening.

Draco looked on disapprovingly, "He has a very slow learning curve." I supposed that was the nicest that Draco was going to be about it, and I didn't feel very inclined to defend Ron considering how he's been acting.

Best tactic is to change subjects.

"So are we dating now?"

As soft as a bull through a china shop, Merlin.

"If you'd like to be."

"Obviously, but do you want to?"

"Obviously," he copies and smiles.

"Why does everyone else make relationships sound so complicated."

"Maybe we'll find out."

"I guess we will."

I don't know what will change, but I'm looking forward to learning with Draco about what it means to actually be with somebody officially, considering we've been off the books for awhile now. It's all so new.

Dating Draco isn't going to be the same as what the other girls have. Lavender had said that when Dean asked her out they exchanged I love you's and sweet words. Cho said that Diggory made loyal and devoted promises. Draco and I don't really need all of that. We know that we're in this together.

Today is what I want for always: sitting in the Great Hall in our dress robes, eating sweets, and talking about the likelihood that Ron would get his head out his arse and ask Hermione out, or if Ginny would ask Harry out anytime soon, or whether or not Draco's mother would like me.

Eventually, we make our own way back into the halls and head for the dormitories. Draco walks with me all the way to the portrait just so we can talk a bit longer on the pros and cons of the charm protego and its variant spells. We've been standing at the singing lady for too long now and she keeps giving us dirty looks.

Draco sighs sarcastically, "Well, I guess I must leave."

"I guessed as much," I reply knowingly.

Lips pulled into a smile for once, he asks, "May I kiss you now?"

"I might be offended if you didn't, Draco."

"Couldn't have that, now could we?"

We're already standing closely, leaning against the wall between two portraits that I can barely hear complaining about us in the background. Draco only has to bend forward a few inches to meet me in the middle.

His lips are firm and curious against my own and a hand finds its way to my hip. Its overwhelming but not as scary as I thought it would be. It's just Draco, and I couldn't be afraid of him even if I tried. He presses close but doesn't try for anything more than the chaste kiss we keep coming back to. My nerves settle as I get use to the feel of him being so close.

When we finally pulled back I was grinning. "That was good. We should do that more."

Draco tried not to laugh but didn't pull away. "Merlin, you look like a preening bird." He was shaking in silent laughter, but my grin stayed firmly in place. "Laugh all you want, Draco. It hurts me none." He just kissed me again and said he'd see me tomorrow.

I glide through the portrait hole, ignoring the Fat Lady's disapproving glare, and head towards the staircase. "Oh, no you don't," a voice, or two, says and then I'm lifted off the second step of the stairs and into the air. A terrified squeal leaves me as I suddenly get carted up the wrong set of stairs. I'm over a very tall someones shoulder. I can see their dress robes and hear another pair of feet other than my captors ahead of us on the steps.

"Fred! George! Put me down; I am in a dress!"

"But if we did that then-"

"-you would get away."

"I will put you in drag and then string you up in the great hall upside down if you do not put me down this instance!"

The boys rush up the stair a little faster and put me down immediately when we get to the top. They look cowed at my angry glare, but lead the way to their room anyway.

The following conversation is more like a mini interrogation. When did you two become serious? Are you two actually serious? He didn't threaten you? You didn't threaten him? You're actually happy about this?

After all the serious questions were finished, the more lighthearted girl-talk that I'm used to followed. The who-asked-who questions and the ensuing giggles. Fred had pulled a box of chocolate frogs out from somewhere and we were eating those while we chatted. Eventually, the other occupants of the room trickled in and joined us. All I could think about while Finnegan gushed about his date was that it was ridiculous that some people actually thought there were so many barriers and differences between boys and girls. There really wasn't unless you put them there yourself.

George had transfigured his and Fred's beds together to fit everyone, and after awhile, we must have fallen asleep because I woke up the next morning squished between the twins with Neville's legs tangled somewhere in the heap of limbs that were suppose people, I supposed.

It was Christmas break now. I wonder what I could do to pass the time.

 **Author's Note:**

HELLO. Here you go. Done. I fluffing did it. This took me way too long, and I apologize profusely, but people were not lying when they said that college could be a kick in the butt. This week has rung me dry. I want to never look at a text book again. All this studying gave me writer's block and I didn't know what to do with myself let along this story, but today I was like nah, I got this. And you know what? I did. BOOM. Here you go readers of the internet!

Now, I might upload a one-shot. Might. I've already written it, but I just don't know. It's a little different. There are adult and non-traditional themes. Let me know if you guys might be interested? It is a Harry Potter fic, but I won't tell you the pairings because if I do post it then I want it to be a surprise.

OH! I have links for pictures to what Evan and Draco wear to the dance, but no matter what I freaking do THEY DON'T GLOBBING WORK. They get corrupted as soon as I upload my file or anything else I try to do. If anyone knows how to do the thing then feel free to share so I can share. Byeee


	42. Chapter 42

When I woke up in bed with everyone dog-piled on top of one another, I had wondered what I should do. I couldn't exactly move without waking someone up, and it was really early by the looks of the non-existent light coming through the windows. Lately, I had been waking up early and wandering off to find Draco, but today I felt like I could fall back asleep, so I did. I really shouldn't have.

I dreamed of a man. He looked like an older Draco, but this man had much longer hair and his face... His face was sharp with a pointed nose and distrustful eyes that scanned the area for anything out of place. He was in a room that was too dark for me to see. It was like he was standing on a stage, and the lights were on him, so everything else just looked like dark creepy shapes of what they could be, and I was watching from the audience.

A man came out of the darkness. I couldn't see his face. It was blurred, and he never quite stood where I could see him properly. The man who resembled Draco began to talk to the blurred man. It felt like I had just jumped into the middle of their conversation, although, to me, it looked like the two men seemed to have just come together and should have been making introductions.

The man with a sharp face was talking, "… know there are a lot of rumors going around."

"Exactly, Lucius. How am I supposed to know that what you're telling me isn't as lackluster as all the other drivel floating around?"

"You don't have to know anything, Fen. I'm not sure myself, but if there is a chance then we need to find out. If our lord returns and finds that there were rumors of her and that we did nothing, he will have more than just our heads."

"She is dead, Lucius. We know this to be fact."

"Perhaps, but we also know Lord Voldemort to be gone, do we not? Yet, here we are."

"What if it's just coincidence? This was a hard topic for your lord, and he will surely not like us bringing it up again only to be false."

"You're quite right, but he will like it even less if it is true."

The man with a blurred face and the name "Fen" sighs, "Always so meticulous, Lucius."

Lucius tsks at the blurred man, "Whatever we find will be kept very quiet. For now, keep your distance from her. I have someone close to her already. Her family, however, should be investigated. I know she believes herself to be adopted, but I want proof. I want what orphanage she came from and who was in charge of her there. Dig as far back as you can. We will know everything about Evangeline Ann Kelpie when we're done here. Now, I hope you…"

"EVANGELINE!" a new voice yelled. A sudden rush like I was falling jerked me awake, and I gasped.

I was lying in a bed with two Weasley's hovering over me, worry written plainly across their faces. I felt out of sorts. The adrenaline from waking so suddenly was wearing off, and I didn't know exactly how to feel. A little confused, certainly, but it didn't feel like a pressing matter. Thoughts and worries were starting to drift away like fall leaves on a soft breeze—inconsequential.

"Evan?" It was like they were talking through water. I didn't feel like I could respond or really wanted to. The words were there, but it didn't feel right to make any sounds. I just didn't feel like it. I gave them a smile in reassurance, instead.

 **George**

Fred and I wake up after the rest of the boys had gotten up and wondered off. It's still rather early, but we stay awake to whisper between each other as Evan lies between us asleep, but then something is wrong. Her brow furrows, and we decide it must be a bad dream, but her hair starts to change color. This isn't odd by itself. Evan's hair often changes color on its own, but it doesn't sit well with me or Fred.

Her hair is completely white when she starts to whimper. Fred looks at me and we quickly decide to wake her. It doesn't work at first, and her nightmare seems to get worse. When she begins to cry, I finally panic and scream her name. She wakes suddenly and with a start. Her hair is still white, and her eyes are glazed over like she might still be asleep.

Fred whispers, "Evan?" but she doesn't reply. She smiles softly at us. It's eerie, and we try to rouse her more or get her to respond, but still, she does not.

I was starting to panic.

"Okay. Okay. Who would know what's going on?" Fred askes.

"I don't know. I don't know. Ginny, maybe?"

"Good. Go get her."

A plan of action makes me feel better, but not by much. I rush out of the dorm and into the common room. A group of girls are sitting at in front of the fire.

"Anyone know where Ginny is? It's important."

Someone pipes up, "She's still asleep in her room. I'll go get her."

"Thank you," I gasp, "Please hurry!"

She does and comes back with a rumpled looking Ginny Wesley who doesn't look happy, but she still hurries along. I pick her up, and she gives a shout of protest, but quiets down as I rush her upstairs and into the room Evan and Fred are in.

We quickly give her a run-down of what happened, and instead of knowing how to fix this, she just shrugs helplessly.

"I don't know if she wants me to tell you or not…" she murmurs unsurely.

"Tell us what?!" Fred and I chime.

Ginny sighs but gives in, "Hell, okay. Evangeline is a seer. I think she was having a vision, but something must have gone wrong." Ginny brushes the hair from Evan's face, but all Evan does is smile slightly. She doesn't even look up or at anyone.

"She's been having trouble with panic attacks lately," Ginny continues, "and she has to keep a calming draught on her. I carry one too, just in case, but I don't think she needs calming. She is _way_ too calm right now."

"Well, we can't leave her like this," I whisper-shout in protest.

"NO. Of course not," she assures quickly, "I know someone who might know how to help."

"Who?" Fred and I ask, both desperate to figure out how to help the little rabbit.

"You might not like it, and I don't know how you'll get him in here, but Draco might be able to help."

Thusly, the adventure into sneaking a Slytherin into the Gryffindor dormitory begins. Fred and I have to find Draco first. We asked a few Slytherins under the guise of wanting to give Draco the shovel talk about the dance last night and, incidentally, run into one Theodore Nott who tells us where to find him. He's in the kitchens talking with the house elves about blueberry muffins when we arrive. Evan must have shown him how to get in here.

We quickly explain and are off to find a way to sneak a rival house member into the dorm. It's easier than we thought it would be to get Draco past the Fat Lady. We kept him out of sight until she swung open, and then rushed him past the common room.

When we finally get back to Evangeline, who we left with Ginny, we all explain to Draco what is going on in more detail. He goes over and speaks to her. She doesn't reply, but she gives him a wider, happier smile than she had given us and looks at him instead of the carpet.

"She's in shock," he states plainly. "I think that by waking her forcefully from her vision put her in shock," he states a little more regretfully and continues with even more regret, "I'm afraid this is the calm before the storm. She might be dazed right now because she hasn't pulled out of her vision fully, but that isn't going to last very long. When she surfaces more, it will likely send her into a panic attack along with the shock. I can give her some calming draught when she does, but that will only take the edge off. I'm afraid this won't be very fun," he directs his last comment at Evan whose only reply is to, again, smile slightly with bleary eyes.

Draco looks to us. Fred, Ginny, and I are sitting at the end of the king-sized bed that Fred and I had transfigured the other night. "If she talks about her vision," Draco starts ominously, "you are to not repeat it to anyone. Not Dumbledore, not your parents, not even a mangy rat in an alleyway."

I wait a moment to take in what he says. It seems obvious, but at the same time, he's pressing the importance and enormity of the situation even though we don't know what the entire situation is. Everyone gives their agreement, so Draco sidles up to Evan and cradles her head so she focuses more on him.

"Hi, Evangeline. How are you feeling?" he asks softly.

She hums quietly and looks as if she'd like to go back to staring at the carpet.

"Evan, do you know what happened? Where you are?"

Evangeline looks to be more confused now. Her brow is furrowed and her lip puckered, but she still looks away. It reminds me of a kid hiding from the goblins in their closet by ducking under the covers; the "If I don't look, it doesn't exist" method.

"Focus. Look at me," Draco whispered, there isn't any need to be loud with all of us this close, "I know you can. You're safe."

She shakes her head no. It was the first semi-response we've gotten from her, but then she starts crying.

"I don't…" she chokes out in a hushed tone and looking around like she doesn't really know where she is, "… know. I – I … there was …" she starts crying more and hides her face in Draco's thigh, sobbing.

Everyone is quiet as Draco runs a hand through her hair, and they wait for her to calm down. I'm on the edge of my seat, and I know Fred and Ginny are the same. I want to comfort her, but crowding her now probably isn't going to help, some dig my nails into my palm and wait.

Once she has her breathing back, she whispers something, but I can't hear her. The others seem just as puzzled.

"What's that?" Draco asks calmly like it doesn't matter too much if she answers or not. Though, I was on the edge of my seat with worry.

"… Lucius."

This definitely got more of Draco's attention.

"Lucius? What about him?"

"Searching for… searching … " she whispers with gasps in between.

"It's okay, Evan, we can talk later if you like? What do you want to do right now?"

Evan reaches out and grips Draco's shirt. She whispers quietly, too quiet for Fred or me to hear her. Draco replies with a soft, "Of course," while he continues to stroke her hair. She relaxes into the bed and against Draco.

He turns to us and asks calmly if they can stay here, Evan and him, for a couple of hours. I comply readily, but Fred seems a little on edge about leaving them alone together. I know that we don't know Draco that well, but I don't think he has any bad intentions, and he knew how to help Evan when we didn't. Ginny gets up to go, and so, we follow her and leave them be.

The three of us make our way out of the dormitory and into the halls of the castle. Fred and I silently lead Ginny into a hidden alcove behind a tapestry and cast a quick silencing charm. We corner Ginny and I ask Fred without looking away from her, "Do you want to be good cop or bad cop?"

"I'm rather fond of bad cop."

"That you are. Shall we begin, Fred?"

"I think we shall, George."

"What else haven't you told us about Evangeline—"

"—and how long has this been going on?"

Let the interrogation begin.

 **Author's Note:**

Okay guys, super sorry once again. This was supposed to have been up last week, but school is a whorl wind of forgetfulness. My finals are coming up over this next week, that ought to be fun, but after all that I should hopefully be good to writing for a while. Anyone want to see something specific? I make no promises, but I could probably sneak in a few little things. Ps Let me know if anything is wrong with this chapter and its formatting. I got a new laptop, and I just want to make sure everything is working.

Happy holidays and all that jazz!


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